Quote:
Originally Posted by The Cobra
FWIW, a player getting third line minutes with little PP time cannot likely produce points above those getting top 6 minutes.
Producing points in the NHL is all about opportunity.
As long as Bennett’s usage remains the same, so will his production.
Just look at Sean Couturier. He was labeled a shut down third line centre, played that role spectacularly and produced points according. Moved into a situation where he had less defensive responsibilities and more PP time, he is now considered an excellent 1st line centre.
But the change in production did not occur, nor could it, without the usage change.
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I keep coming back to Frolik in this instance.
43 pt pace with zero PP time. Mostly as a 2nd line W, but also played all over the place including 4th line time at points.
Sam was on a 31 pt pace with 1:30 pp time per game. And rarely was he ever less than 3rd line and certainly took turns playing up the line up.
That's huge difference when considering all circumstances. Bennett did get top 6 time...and did squat with it. He forced Peters to play him down where he spent the majority of his time.
There is truly nothing to indicate he is anything but a 3rd line RW. That's OK as every team needs one of them.
But to suggest he should get more ice time....because...is pure folly. There are clearly 6 guys who are markedly better offensively than him and have proven it repeatedly. I would suggest there are 2 more that could easily surpass him soon as well.
So....what do you pay him?