Old man rant time:
Hockey is played on frozen water....not spread sheets.
Who played against tougher opposition?
Who was better on Tuesdays and who was better on Saturdays?
Who was better when Bill Peters was getting smoked with errant pucks wearing a blue suit?
I mean its ALL spin when you are breaking down to these types of minutiae.
You call it prudent research, i do not.
This is only my opinion of course, but the stuff i see trying to explain or excuse things in a game that is relatively straight forward to see what is occurring is becoming mind numbing to me.
Even the whole "he is an above average 3rd liner" you trotted out...like really? So he is closer to a #7 than a #8? Does that truly matter at all?
Some players are good at X others at Y and others at both. Some at none. Who plays where and with whom will always be part of the equation for sure, but with 4 years of history, that argument doesn't fly either. Bennett has had MULTIPLE turns with the best players on this club and failed repeatedly.
When it comes to the player this subject is about, i see more excuses, (and have for years now), about how he is this and that or will be this and that....and it simply has not manifested itself to anything close. The thing is, it hasnt even had the appearance of happening, yet here we are still seeing the same old song and dance being trotted out for him because he found his game for 10 days in April. He was great for 2 weeks so now we ignore the last 4 seasons?
Frolik is/has been a much better player than Sam Bennett. You can disagree if you like, but in reality there is no way that can be substantiated. Could that change based on their ages? Of course and i really hope it does. Im just not seeing it nor counting on it based on the last 4 seasons however. I hope he is not paid for that expectation either...really is all im saying.
Go ahead and scold me now, but nothing presented here with "research" is going to change what Sam Bennett is thus far in his Flame career.
I've been wrong before though and hopefully will be around to be wrong again.
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