Sam Bennett Value: Have the Flames held on TOO long? OR is he awesome?

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Not really changing my point ...

He's a first round pick in a re-draft. This isn't a bust scenario

It sure is considering WHERE he was drafted.

He would be disappointing if he was a middle of the 1st round pick, but as a top 5 pick, he is most certainly a bust for what he should have been.

You dont draft at 4 overall in ANY year and expect him to top out as a 3rd line banger with little offense. At the very least you would expect that guy to be a part of your core if not a franchise guy.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Not really changing my point ...

He's a first round pick in a re-draft. This isn't a bust scenario

draft 4th overall and getting a sub 30 point forward is a bust my man.

[Bingo]

I guess everyone has a different definition of bust then right?

I see a bust as a first round pick that turns into nothing. I see guys like Virtanen, Bennett, Ritchie etc as players that didn't turn out as good as projected but are still NHL hockey players with defined roles.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Bingo

I guess everyone has a different definition of bust then right?

I see a bust as a first round pick that turns into nothing. I see guys like Virtanen, Bennett, Ritchie etc as players that didn't turn out as good as projected but are still NHL hockey players with defined roles.

Fair enough.

[jayswin]

I guess so, but almost anyone I've ever talked about draft picks with would consider Bennett a bust. I suppose if you consider right out of the NHL a bust, then he's not, but that's a pretty damn forgiving definition for his draft position.

A player is selected 4th OA and then has some experts (Bob McKenzie, I believe?) suggesting he could have gone 1st and a few years later that player is scratching for 3/4th line RFA contracts while skating around with a serious lack of hockey IQ and NHL playmaking/scoring ability? I know what I'm calling that player.

[jayswin]

Bottom line, he was projected to be a skilled, bruising top line centre who scores lots of goals. Basically a franchise centre that would either be 1A/1B with Monahan or push Monahan to the second line.

If that player is plotting around in your bottom six, showing little to no improvement each year and waddling to the box every third shift because of nonsense, selfish penalties? I present to you a 4th overall bust.

[Zulu29]

Yeah I’d say he’s a bust given his draft position. I like the guy but he has not lived up to his billing.

[Oling_Roachinen]

Originally Posted by Bingo

I guess everyone has a different definition of bust then right?

I see a bust as a first round pick that turns into nothing. I see guys like Virtanen, Bennett, Ritchie etc as players that didn't turn out as good as projected but are still NHL hockey players with defined roles.

Daigle has 600+ games in the NHL but you'll routinely find him in the top bust lists. There's no definitive definition of course, but I think expectations play a huge role.

As the highest draft pick in Calgary history, Bennett is a bust in my opinion.

[Jiri Hrdina]

There are high draft guys that don’t even carve out an nhl career
If Sam is a bust what do we call them?

[Ped]

Bigger busts.

[TheScorpion]

Round-busts maybe? *glares at user title and then back at Jiri*

[sketchyt]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

There are high draft guys that don’t even carve out an nhl career
If Sam is a bust what do we call them?

"YOU people."

[Joborule]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

There are high draft guys that don’t even carve out an nhl career
If Sam is a bust what do we call them?

Same thing, bust.

The meaning for that phrase is a highly touted prospect not amounting to their expectations.

[ComixZone]

I still find the focus on Bennett odd, unless of course you are in fact fixating on his draft position (which isn't taking into account the quality of the draft, but that's a needless conversation).

This year, Bennett has been our 2nd best bottom six forward behind Ryan (seeing as Mangiapane is now a top six forward). Focusing in on Bennett to me seems like you're ignoring the larger issue - which is the complete lack of forward depth on the team, and the fact that a number of players are mis-slotted - as well as the fact that for whatever reason, the team can't generate offence as a whole.

- Frolik isn't even a 4th line player anymore.
- Jankowski hasn't been on the ice for a goal for this year (...which is some kinda amazing)
- Rieder can kill penalties, and that's it
- Czarnik continues to be a tweener
- Lucic has punched a few players
- Gaudreau has 6 even point strengths
- Monahan is on track for his lowest goal total in his career

I guess I'm saying I'd be more concerned about Bennett's rough start to the season if it wasn't a team-wide issue. The only two forwards worth their salt this year is Lindholm and Tkachuk.

Bennett definitely has not lived up to expectations, but I still don't think the team is blameless in that. They screwed up his development, and Bennett hasn't been able to figure the league out the way we'd all hoped. It's a failure on both sides, and quite frankly this team doesn't have a history of developing good NHL players - so I can't move off the shared blame between player and organization.

I think he's a 3rd line player that elevates his game when it counts. If he wasn't drafted where he was drafted, he'd be viewed very, very differently around here.

[Flash Walken]

We are focusing on Bennett in this thread because it's about Bennett.

If you want a Reider thread or a thread on the PK, go start one.

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

We are focusing on Bennett in this thread because it's about Bennett.

If you want a Reider thread or a thread on the PK, go start one.

I'm painting context for Bennett's slow start. The focus comment was on the fact that game threads are still littered with Bennett talk, disproportionally so when comparing him to most of the rest of the roster.

[Harry Lime]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

I'm painting context for Bennett's slow start. The focus comment was on the fact that game threads are still littered with Bennett talk, disproportionally so when comparing him to most of the rest of the roster.

I thought that was clear.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

I'm painting context for Bennett's slow start. The focus comment was on the fact that game threads are still littered with Bennett talk, disproportionally so when comparing him to most of the rest of the roster.

It's because he is noticeable this year for the wrong reasons.

He is much worse this year than last IMO. Some of the penalties he has taken...woof.

[TheSquatch]

And the idea that Bennett's somehow "okay" because he's better than Rieder, Jankowski, Lucic, and Frolik....


yikes.

Being better than bad isn't the same as being good.

[SportsJunky]

I think it's because a number of posters were busily pumping his tires before the season started. Telling all that he should be playing top 6 and PP. Also, that he was wrecked by Gully and should be centering his own line.

He kind of was in the crosshairs after all that.