Quote:
Originally Posted by Strange Brew
Bennett is very hard to price on a 3 or 4 year deal. If I'm the Flames, I'm not doing that unless he is asking for something low like $2 million. And there is no reason for Bennett to do that.
And the player we have seen thus far is not worth $3 million IMO. Especially without any UFA rights.
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I'll preface this with saying a year ago I was pretty critical of Bennett. I thought he looked lost, especially at center, the majority of the time. I would have not argued too much had they moved him. Also, iirc teams were asking about him based on comments Friedman was making at the time. I sure his name was brought up with the Canes.
Regardless, Bennett looks to have found a role and accepted it. He's a top 9 winger who can basically be an 'agent of chaos' as Kent Wilson put it. He can be an effective third line winger who can step up into the top 6 when needed. Something the Flames don't really havean abundance of. with the league tilting towards speed and skill, players who can do what Bennett does will have value. I also think the organization, Treliving & Peters, believes in Sam. I think they see him as a part of the picture moving forward.
My view towards Bennett has shifted. I still think he's capable of putting up 15-20 goals & 30-40 points per season while bringing an edge to a team that doesn't have too much of it. He has a role and that's what's most important. I think he's worth what Derek Ryan is getting and I don't think that amount would be a hinderance at all on the cap.