Quote:
Originally Posted by N-E-B
This post reminds me of that meme with the dog saying everything is fine as the house burns down around him. I have yet to see a compelling argument for Bennett not being a bust other than "he's still young". The numbers and eye test have both shown regression every year. Development curves of guys like Backlund and Scheifele are outliers and not really a good thing to bank on happening.
Bennett has been horrible this year. It's not unfair to start entertaining the very real possibility that he is in fact going to bust. There's no point in trading him, I don't think you'd get anything of value for him. Maybe he can salvage a 40 points/year career but he's running out of time. I think the Flames are preparing for what happens if he never realizes his potential.
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What about Sven? He is 25 and just starting to realize his offensive potential. He was another player that looked to be regressing each year since his draft and gets moved for a pick and is a first liner on his current team.
The fact Bennett is not a star by 21 has people calling him a bust. He has had nothing but terrible linemates under Gulutzan and has his confidence widdle away. His shift to the wing came late and he still has no confidence.
If Bennett is traded love him to Florida or Carolina or somewhere that it won’t sting to watch him turn into an effective player.
Personally I fire Gulutzan before trading Bennett and see if a new coach can get him going. Obviously that isn’t the only reason I fire Gulutzan but it is in the pile of things he does that make me question if he is the right coach for this team.