My thoughts on Bennett have always been:
Flames screwed up by investing a 4th overall pick into Bennett, but not investing more into his development.
Hartley knew how to develop a center - he slotted Monahan into the 3rd line and coached him. Then Monahan also got a bit lucky with both Stajan and Backlund getting hurt with longer-term injuries, propelling Monahan into consistent heavy minutes.
The plan with Bennett was pretty good. Bennett needed a longer rope than Monahan, as I remember him sitting with Conroy in the stands, and Conroy would ask him where he should go on the ice for this play or that play, and Bennett was often lost. I think Hartley started him off exceptionally well stapling him to Backlund for his first season. Then Hartley gets canned, and that was the end of Bennett's development.
Ignoring Hartley's other warts and short shelf life, I wish he stayed. I feel the next two seasons would have seen the following:
Bennett's 2nd year: Moves down off of Backlund's wing and centers the third line. Sheltered minutes, but consistent reps at center and consistent coaching and feedback. Tkachuk has his rookie year alongside Backlund which was great for his development.
Bennett's 3rd year: Tkachuk - Bennett become stapled together on the 3rd line. Backlund and Frolik continue on the 2nd line as the shut-down line, allowing Tkachuk and Bennett to continue be sheltered.
Bennett's 4th year: Flames roll with:
Gaudreau - Monahan
Tkachuk - Bennett
Frolik - Backlund
That's a top line and two second lines, with one being elite defensively, and one having a lot of jam.
Instead, down the line Derek Ryan and Mark Jankowski get the bulk of the minutes down the middle on the third line, and Bennett - an asset that Calgary invested a 4th overall pick into - bounced around the rest of his time here in Calgary before finding a team that were willing to invest consistent ice time and teammates with down the middle.
Not all prospects develop the same, and not all positions are as easily developed. You can't point at Gaudreau (older and winger), Mangiapane (winger), Dube (winger), Coronato (winger) and say: "See, they did it. Why couldn't Bennett?". Center is a tough position to play. Bennett didn't get the coaching AND the reps that he needed.
He wasn't developed as a center here, and the coaching staff didn't want to put up with any growing pains. Florida's win, Calgary's loss.
What worries me is that I feel Zary should be getting more minutes at center now. Maybe he isn't a center, but at the same time, I hope that this organization is more wiling to live with the growing pains of developing a center right now. I hope that Zary gets a full season at center.
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