Quote:
Originally Posted by ComixZone
Bennett is going to win a Stanley Cup as a #1 centre.
(we'll then find out that Barkov has had a broken foot for months)
But still, hard to find two more overlooked players by this fanbase than Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Bennett. Loads of idiotic takes over the years:
"Lindholm is the one who does the heavy lifting"
No, it was Tkachuk.
"Tkachuk needs to cut that fancy crap out - stop trying between the legs"
No, that's elite skill in specific situations.
"Bennett has poor hockey IQ"
No, he does not. He takes penalties sometimes - true, but you want a player physically engaged - not someone coasting around playing a perimeter game which is what this team suffers from and has suffered from.
"Bennett doesn't use his teammates"
When you play a promising player with the likes of Brouwer and Jankowski, of course he's going to try and dangle through everyone - you've stapled two anchors to his hip.
Calgary Flames should have built their team around Tkachuk, Gaudreau, and Bennett as leaders, not Monahan, Backlund, and Giordano.
|
You had me until that last line. Leaders emerge, they are not appointed. You become a leader by actually leading. The only two leaders on that list IMO are Tkachuk and Gio.
Then you have to consider what the leader's message is. Clearly in that regard, Tkachuk's message is a better because he is a better winner than Gio.
He wanted a leadership role on this team and tried to impose that. IMO this team's players and maybe even coaches didn't like Tkachuk's message, about half way through his biggest season with the Flames it seemed like he was told to cut it out - stop being a personality, don't be authentic, just blend in. From that point on he seemed workmanlike (still producing awesome numbers), did his job and I bet it was then that he said screw it, I gotta go somewhere else.
That's just opinion, before the chorus of 'you have no proof' 'you weren't in the room' blah blah blah.