Quote:
Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache
Funny stuff. Nobody is saying that the organization was principally driven by sabotaging him.
They just slotted him with a rotating cast of bottom 6 guys. He produced like a guy playing with bottom 6 guys, he just failed to produce like a top 6 guy when deployed as a bottom 6.
You do realize that in the season GioPM is pointing to as his big opportunity (as a wing, not a C), Brett Ritchie played more with Gaudreau and Monahan. Brett ####ing Ritchie.
The linemates TOI stats are there for all to see. A nice even blend of guys like Janko, Rieder , Neal, Czarnik, Dube, Ryan, Leivo, Lucic, etc. Never a huge solid chunk of time with top 6 guys. Deployed as a bottom 6 wing in the blender.
No matter. Like I say, he got frustrated and fed up, asked for a trade, and got one. He now is a 2C on a top team.
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We know there's one player that Bennett works with...Tkachuk. The Flames never gave Bennett lots of time with Tkachuk. Seems like a very odd thing to do, as their play styles clearly compliment each other. The Flames never wanted to let either Tkachuk or Bennett play their game, to its full extent. Both players clearly perform best when unchained and allow to play their game, not when they are being told to play two way hockey. Not every player needs to play two way hockey.
As you say, it wasn't some personal attempt to sabotage individual players. It was just total inflexibility with the team. The structure was too rigid. The identity of being a group of hard working, zone controlling, two way players just doesn't work in the faster and more offensively driven NHL.