The Legend of Sam Bennett

[Nelson]

A key difference is that it would have been difficult to give Sam the sheltered, offensive, top-6 C minutes in Calgary that he is getting in Florida. The reason is that if Sam was playing in that role, Monahan was the other top-6 centre (not Lindholm) because Monahan has always played C and never W. This situation would never have been sustainable because Monahan cannot take on the Barkov-role. He cannot play a true #1 Cs minutes.

[Lanny_McDonald]

Originally Posted by dustygoon

Own up to it. It is so pathetic how you behave and when faced with what at BEST is a chance that you might be wrong about Bennett (let alone completely owned) you try to stake what? A contrarian view? A denial? What is this?

You wasted so much of our server space with your drivel. You are more tedious than ever. And that comes from someone who used to defend you. Apologies if you have already admitted you might be wrong or ate the pube sandwich and I missed it.

Again, great on Sam Bennett for being given opportunity and running with it. Good on him from learning from his time in Calgary what his role is and what his supposed to do. Good on him for some how being placed between two wingers that are skilled and on a tear. Coach Q has obviously got in his ear and explained his role in great detail, because Sam has simplified his game. He's doing what low skill players are supposed to do when they are played with high skill players. Sam is getting the puck to Huberdeau or Duclair or (on the PP) Barkov and then crashing the net. But make no mistake, this is still the same player with the same flawed game, he's just has stopped doing all the things that made him a detriment in Calgary. Gone are the toe drags (I saw one attempt last night against the Preds late in the game, but I think Q will have a word with him). Gone are the attempts to beat the whole opposition team by himself. Gone are the dumb attempts to make impossible passes. Sam has simplified and is making short passes to skilled players then heading to the net to score those "high skill" goals from inside the blue paint. But the most important thing Sam is doing that is working for him, he's no longer taking dumb penalties. Bennett still can't pass, still can't shoot, and still doesn't have a head for the game, but he's learned his lesson and what it takes to survive. He's become a blunt implement that knows his role, recognizes his limitations, and is doing what his coach asks of him and what his team needs. Good on him. It's about time. We all wish he had done that in Calgary. Actually, we all wish we had a coach like Q in Calgary that could have got this through his head earlier. Now, lets see if he can continue within this role and play within himself, or if this success goes to his head and he falls back into believing he's a skilled player. For Cali's sake I hope Q keeps him on track. Go Panthers Go! Go Sam Go!

[ricardodw]

Ha Ha stupid Florida.

Bennett is an RFA with arbitration rights. He will throw out their salary structure as right now they are paying 5.9 for Barkov and Huberdeau.

AND they will have to protect Bennett in the expansion draft


Could very well cost them Accari or Duclair or Vatrano

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by ricardodw

Ha Ha stupid Florida.

Bennett is an RFA with arbitration rights. He will throw out their salary structure as right now they are paying 5.9 for Barkov and Huberdeau.

AND they will have to protect Bennett in the expansion draft


Could very well cost them Accari or Duclair or Vatrano

*gasp* oh no!

[Jore]

Originally Posted by Nelson

A key difference is that it would have been difficult to give Sam the sheltered, offensive, top-6 C minutes in Calgary that he is getting in Florida. The reason is that if Sam was playing in that role, Monahan was the other top-6 centre (not Lindholm) because Monahan has always played C and never W. This situation would never have been sustainable because Monahan cannot take on the Barkov-role. He cannot play a true #1 Cs minutes.

Backlund has always taken on the hard matchups anyway. Monahan gets slaughtered by the Faksas and Colin Wilsons. His usage is 100% on the organization for not recognizing what good and bad centre play is and wasting their highest pick in franchise history.

The Flames have not had a true #1 C in thirty years and have done next to nothing. The proof is in the pudding.

[CroFlames]

Wow, what a thread.

I'm cheering for him to do well, and I'm glad he is so far.

I cheer for most ex-Flames.

[BMStrikesAgain]

Originally Posted by ricardodw

AND they will have to protect Bennett in the expansion draft


Could very well cost them Accari or Duclair or Vatrano

Originally Posted by Scroopy Noopers

*gasp* oh no!

the florida panthers are never going to financially recover from this.

[Lanny_McDonald]

Originally Posted by Jore

The Flames have not had a true #1 C in thirty years and have done next to nothing. The proof is in the pudding.

You know what determines a "true #1 center" in the NHL? Success. Monahan was great when the team was winning and scoring. Now that the team sucks, it's all on not having a "true #1 center." The moments you have one of those is fleeting, and they don't last unless you draft a generational talent. We've had one serious opportunity to draft one and the guy didn't turn out. Happens more than anyone cares to admit.

[dammage79]

Monahan was always a #1 C until these past two season when whatever happened, happened. It absolutely amazes me the recency bias.

[Jore]

Except Monahan’s deficiencies (skating, carrying the puck, dictating pace, controlling the middle, being alert and proactive in the defensive zone) have been clear to see even when he was scoring.

many posters have talked about his usage and advocated he be split up from Gaudreau and/or Bennett be given the same opportunity for years.

[Tkachukwagon]

I'm happy for Bennett. I am also happy he is playing in Florida, maybe the furthest geographic distance from Calgary in the NHL. I can cheer for him without worrying about his success impacting the Flames. I might've lost my mind if he was traded to Toronto or Oilers and started playing to his potential.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by Saqe

Did he ever play as many minutes for Calgary in a seven game stretch as he's done in Florida? Curious because I can't remember it if he did. Especially as a center.

The answer here is no. The only time he topped 20 minutes here was one (1) playoff game against Dallas last August, the 5-4 OTL where he got 3 points

He was often in the 11-15 minute range and you were even more likely to see him in single digits for ice time than above 20

He has played over 20 min 3 of the last 4 games with Florida


The funny thing is that way back, they bumped Bennett as a year 2 player from playing with Backlund and Frolik into the bottom 6, to give that slot to Tkachuk. Fast forward and the same Tkachuk has most recently gotten 3 assists in his past 10 games, disappeared when they have a chance to catch Montreal and try to get in, seems to have quit on the team despite being the highest paid player, and needs to be qualified at 9 million.

This innocuous little deadline trade has really resulted in egg all over this Treliving guy

[alan21]

Originally Posted by BMStrikesAgain

the florida panthers are never going to financially recover from this.

The cost of being the Panther King.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by dammage79

Monahan was always a #1 C until these past two season when whatever happened, happened. It absolutely amazes me the recency bias.

It's not recency bias, it's what Monahan actually was and is. He was never a true number one centre, he was a sniper that got open and hit the net, putting up number one centre numbers(save for his hot start to his career) which is hugely valuable on any team.

Yes, I realize this opinion is exactly what led to AC's popular garbageman meme to mock the questioning of what he was and whether it could lead us to being a contender, I can take it. But at the end of the day Monahan didn't play a great two way game, and more importantly wasn't a play driver.

That is a critical fault if you're determining whether a player is a number one centre or not, as it directly led to Gaudreau having to be the play driver. Which as we know worked quite well when he was young and unknown and therefore unpredictable. As soon as Gaudreau wasn't a regular threat to drive the play up the ice and into the zone on his own, things started to unravel.

[Cobra]

Problem with Sam is he wasn't good enough to crack the Flames top 6.
We have a powerhouse Cup contender and it is tough line-up to get top 6 ice time.
Granted last year in the playoffs his line with Lucic and Dube was our best but his reward was 4th line winger this year.
Sure would have liked to have seen him Centering Dube and Mangy.

[powderjunkie]

Barkov
Hubderdeau
Verhaege

Duclair
Bennett
Hornqvist - UFA 2023
Vatrano - UFA 2022

Acciari - UFA 2022
Wallmark


Acciari has 11 pts in 37 games. They signed him as a UFA last year and he put up 20 goals and 7 assists. I don't think they'd be particularly upset to lose him compared to anyone else.

Ekblad
Weegar
Yandle NMC

Stralman UFA 2022
Nutivara UFA 2022
Gudas UFA 2023
Forsling


Not sure if there are any rumblings of asking Yandle to waive? The relationship seemed strained at the start of the year.

More likely SEA takes Forsling if he's unprotected, or maybe even Stralman in hopes of flipping him, though his 5.5M AAV is tough.

FLA probably needs to find a way to protect Forsling given their dearth of LD.

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

The answer here is no. The only time he topped 20 minutes here was one (1) playoff game against Dallas last August, the 5-4 OTL where he got 3 points

He was often in the 11-15 minute range and you were even more likely to see him in single digits for ice time than above 20

He has played over 20 min 3 of the last 4 games with Florida

I wonder if playing at sea level is why Bennett can play 20+ minutes in Florida. Because I was told here that he cannot play over 12 minutes and still be effective.

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by New Era

Again, great on Sam Bennett for being given opportunity and running with it. Good on him from learning from his time in Calgary what his role is and what his supposed to do. Good on him for some how being placed between two wingers that are skilled and on a tear. Coach Q has obviously got in his ear and explained his role in great detail, because Sam has simplified his game. He's doing what low skill players are supposed to do when they are played with high skill players. Sam is getting the puck to Huberdeau or Duclair or (on the PP) Barkov and then crashing the net. But make no mistake, this is still the same player with the same flawed game, he's just has stopped doing all the things that made him a detriment in Calgary. Gone are the toe drags (I saw one attempt last night against the Preds late in the game, but I think Q will have a word with him). Gone are the attempts to beat the whole opposition team by himself. Gone are the dumb attempts to make impossible passes. Sam has simplified and is making short passes to skilled players then heading to the net to score those "high skill" goals from inside the blue paint. But the most important thing Sam is doing that is working for him, he's no longer taking dumb penalties.

Whatever fits your narrative.

Bennett was asked about Q in an interview with Millard the other day and all he said was "he doesn't overcoach, he just lets me play"

Bennett played the same game here in Calgary, but never the same position with linemates who could maintain a cycle and finish.

He's very much a driver on his line, even if it isn't obvious to you which things he does that drive play. Maybe go read up on the things panthers fans are praising Bennett for instead of letting your prejudices determine the narrative about his success.

[CalgaryFan1988]

Originally Posted by GranteedEV

Bennett was asked about Q in an interview with Millard the other day and all he said was "he doesn't overcoach, he just lets me play"

Overcoaching definitely takes the "fun" and natural ability out of players and makes them more robotic.

Be interesting to see how Bennett does the rest of his career.

[Jaydee]

This organization is a ####ing tire fire, Sam got no rope after constantly being our best player every playoffs and then getting relegated to fourth line at the start of every season. FIRE BRAD! SAD!