[News] With the 4th overall pick the Flames select C Sam Bennett

[#-3]

Originally Posted by Bingo

I feel so bad for Flames fans, what an annoying situation to have to argue what of the two top prospects is better.

It was way easier when we just knew Eric Nystrom was the best product and we could just go from there.

Ahh the old days.

Especially When you look at Monahan and Brodie barely past the prospect label.

Looking Monahan, Brodie, Gaudreau, Bennett, Baertschi. All currently with under 100 games. That could be a great 1st unit PP in 2 - 3 years.

[4oh3]

Originally Posted by SHOGUN

Let's make it clear I don't think Monahan plays like Toews... Gaudreau has similar attributes as Kane but I only used those two as an example because they are very good hockey players but play different styles of hockey.

Monahan = Monahan
Gaudreau = Gaudreau
Bennett = Bennett

[dammage79]

^ At some point in their career's they will be the measuring stick to which all rookies and prospects will be compared to across the league.

[MissTeeks]

http://www.calgaryherald.com/sports/...386/story.html

The mentor, the model, the reference point, sat across the same room, a couple of seats down to the left from where the protégé does now, all those winters ago.

“Similarities?” repeats Doug Gilmour. “That’s for you guys to talk about. I’ll leave any comparisons up to others.

“All I know is: He’s a special player.

“He’s his own player.

“Real good kid. Focused. He wants to win. He doesn’t give up. He’s got a lot — a LOT — of grit for a smaller guy.

“He’s a talented kid. That’s no secret. We all know that. You’ve started seeing that in the last couple of weeks. I saw it the last couple years.

“His skill level, his thought processes, his work ethic . . . And he’s a gamer, a difference-maker, on top of that.”

His old boss got back to the house around 11:30 p.m. from Peterborough, the Frontenacs taking out the Petes 5-3 in their Ontario Hockey League regular-season opener on Thursday, the evening of Bennett’s Flames’ debut.

“So I saw the midnight highlights,” says Gilmour. “Liked what I saw. Rang one off the crossbar. Created some chances. And you can never question Sam’s effort.

“Our head scout was watching the game and he said ‘Oh my God. He was the best player on the ice.’ So we are getting updates. We’re interested, naturally.”

“Right away, he just took over as the No. 1 centre. We were not expecting that.

“Obviously he got overshadowed in minor midget by Connor McDavid, playing on the same line. When draft time came and he was there for us, we were happy to take him.

“I liked him right away. I liked the number (Gilmour’s signature Toronto Maple Leaf No. 93) he picked.

“You could just tell. Every practice, every game he just got better and better and better.

“You watched him here, at this level, how he controlled the puck, how hard he worked. Half the year he played with a separated shoulder. Never complained. Played hard, as I said, every night.

“People talk about testing all that . . . this kid played hurt. Now you guys are seeing what kind of character he has. We already know all about that here.”

"If you want a guy who’s going to go and compete for you every single night and make the team better,” says Gilmour, “that’s Sam.

“You’re not going to get any wins lifting a weight. Obviously that’s stuff you need to do but for Sam, it’s about how competitive he is, how intense he is, how much he wants to make a difference.”

“When Calgary got Sam where they did (No. 4 overall),” says Gilmour. “I thought: ‘Wow! They’re gonna love him.’ ”

The infatuation is only beginning to take hold.

“You’re just,” says the model, the mentor, the reference point, “seeing a small portion right now. A year, two years, three years from now, what this kid can be . . .

“Well, you guys out there will be smiling, let me put it that way.”

[scotty2hotty]

How the F did we get this guy at #4???

[getbak]

Originally Posted by scotty2hotty

How the F did we get this guy at #4???

http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthread.php?t=4

[Hockey_Ninja]

Originally Posted by scotty2hotty

How the F did we get this guy at #4???

Pull-up fake out.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by MissTeeks

http://www.calgaryherald.com/sports/...386/story.html

Great article.

But on top of that, the Herald published an awesome picture of Bennett:

[jg13]

Mad shoutout to the NYI winning their final game of the season letting us pick 4th overall and mad shoutout to Edmonton for being no good.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by MissTeeks

http://www.calgaryherald.com/sports/...386/story.html

I bumped this thread because I think everyone needs to read the fantastic article that MissTeeks posted yesterday night.

Read it!

[Lanny_McDonald]

Originally Posted by scotty2hotty

How the F did we get this guy at #4???

The German Gretzky being an inch taller and 15 pounds heavier, making him more ready for the NHL than Bennett. The Oilers again looking at immediate returns rather than taking the guy who will likely be the best player in five years. I love Kevin Lowe and his band of merry morons!

[sureLoss]

I really do think pullup-gate had something to do with the Oilers passing on him.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

I really do think pullup-gate had something to do with the Oilers passing on him.

I honestly think so too. The fact that this happened makes me love Bennett even more.

[Lanny_McDonald]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

I really do think pullup-gate had something to do with the Oilers passing on him.

Then they really are mismanaged to the n-th degree up there. Fitness and strength can be developed over time. God given talent, drive and instinct you are born with. If you don't have it, you never will. Swing and a miss by the Oilers scouts and management if that was really the deciding factor.

[sureLoss]

Originally Posted by New Era

Then they really are mismanaged to the n-th degree up there. Fitness and strength can be developed over time. God given talent, drive and instinct you are born with. If you don't have it, you never will. Swing and a miss by the Oilers scouts and management if that was really the deciding factor.

Well its not like Draisaitl is a talentless bum that doesn't deserve to be mentioned as a worthy top 4 pick.

I am just saying that if it came down to a choice between Draisaitl and Bennett the physical maturity of Draisaitl over Bennett probably won the Oilers over and the lack of pullups probably drove that point home.

[Rick M.]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

I really do think pullup-gate had something to do with the Oilers passing on him.

The fact that he played through a separated shoulder likely had an impact on the number of pullups he could do. Lucky us!

[Da_Chief]

Originally Posted by jg13

Mad shoutout to the NYI winning their final game of the season letting us pick 4th overall and mad shoutout to Edmonton for being no good.

Leon has had a good camp as well. He's a solid prospect.

[the_only_turek_fan]

I hope Doug didn't teach Sam to walk out on the team.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by the_only_turek_fan

I hope Doug didn't teach Sam to walk out on the team.

As if the human drive to pursue a greater return for one's skills requires any sort of special education.

The NHL in 2014 is in a different world than the league of the '90s. There is almost no chance that the fiscal constraints that prevented the Flames from keeping Gilmour will present the same problem in the foreseeable future.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

I really do think pullup-gate had something to do with the Oilers passing on him.

It could have been. I was saying at the time that while not being able to do a pull-up isn't a big deal on its own, if a team had 2 prospects basically even, it could have been the tie-breaker.

I'm glad we got Bennett as we have time on our side right now, but Draisaitl, being more physically mature and with comparable talent, was a good pick for either team.