[News] Bennett Out 4-6 Months with Shoulder Surgery *UPDATE* Back Skating

[FlameZilla]

Originally Posted by Fire

Bennett will be the best Flames forward in 3-5 years. Gaudreau will challenge but I think Sam is a notch better.

Mony may be boring, but the way he's playing lately you've gotta think he'll be having something to say about that.

[DazzlinDino]

Originally Posted by Fire

Bennett will be the best Flames forward in 3-5 years. Gaudreau will challenge but I think Sam is a notch better.

There is a lot to like about this team; I watched the Flames during an era where we had guys that went to the wall to win and loved scoring and beating teams, The games were exciting the air was electrifying. It was a great time to be a Flames fan. Al MacInnis had a rocket of a slap shot that made goalies cringe and when paired with Gary Suter they were constantly dangerous. That paring constantly racked up points! Who do we have as a top pairing now, Gio ad Brodie!! Gary Suter was a fantastic skater he reminds me a lot of Brodie. Gio may not have the same slapper as Al MacInnis, but the way he skates around finding open spots is bang on. Doug Gilmore, Jiri Hrdina, Hakan Loob; This team is starting to bring back memories.
Johnny Gaudreau and Hakan loob are about the same height ,both very high shifty creative talented players. Then we have Bennett and Gilmore
both a pain to play against ut highly skilled, fast.

Bennett has to be pretty excited about what he sees from the Flames so far in terms of performance and the opportunities to make the playoffs. I think Bennett's "never say never" stuborn attitude is going to be a driving force for the team. His demeanor kind of fits the current character and culture the Flames are trying to achieve.

The team is starting to get the the right mix of ingredients when it comes winning, Can they go all the way? Maybe not now but but sprinkle a little magic and you never know! We are looking better and better all the time! Man its a great times to be a Flames fan unbelievable!

[Bunk]

^ Bennett's drive is why I like him on this team more than Reinhart, who seems a bit more nonchalant.

[Itse]

Originally Posted by Fire

Bennett will be the best Flames forward in 3-5 years. Gaudreau will challenge but I think Sam is a notch better.

Don't take this personally, as this is something a lot of people do here. I just feel like I need to write this down, and this is as good a place as any.

Every time somebody on CP makes definitive statements like that about our prospects I cringe. It's been happening a lot lately, and so I'm doing a lot of cringing.

Many here area already salivating over our future as if it's a given that everything will go great, that every one our prospects are destined to be as good as they look now, or better. At worst just a little bit worse. That guys like Josh Jooris and Mikael Granlund and Joe Colborne and Michael Ferland are all going to be NHL regulars and good ones at that.

To me this sounds exactly like what the Oiler fans have been doing. One good streak and every young player they have is destined for greatness. Never go full Oiler, we should know that better than anyone.

Fans crowning young players as established players or future stars is dangerous stuff.

And no, I don't think we'll head down the Oilers path just because fans get excited and like to make definitive predictions. It's the job of the management and the coaches to keep guys grounded and keep them developing, and I feel like we have good people in place. Hartley has already had god-child Gaudreau on the popcorn row, and a veteran in Wideman. (Wouldn't even surprise me if both were deliberate moves to show the team who's got the reins.)

Yeah, getting excited is part of being a fan. I don't even know it if was better if nobody ever got ahead of things with stuff like that.

But people making statements like that still fill me with dread. It feels like bad karma. I don't even believe in karma, and it still feels wrong

Okay, got that off my chest. Sorry. Carry on.

[DazzlinDino]

Originally Posted by Bunk

^ Bennett's drive is why I like him on this team more than Reinhart, who seems a bit more nonchalant.

Imagine if Bennett got stuck with the oilers wow what a travesty. The guy hates to lose.

[ramizle]

@Itse we need to both temper expectations and live in the moment. The Flames are exceeding all expectations so far this year. I live in the boat where I'll keep believing until they prove me wrong.

Maybe I have rose coloured glasses on but I don't see why Ferland Granlund and Jooris couldn't be regular NHLers.

[DazzlinDino]

Originally Posted by Itse

Don't take this personally, as this is something a lot of people do here. I just feel like I need to write this down, and this is as good a place as any.

Every time somebody on CP makes definitive statements like that about our prospects I cringe. It's been happening a lot lately, and so I'm doing a lot of cringing.

Many here area already salivating over our future as if it's a given that everything will go great, that every one our prospects are destined to be as good as they look now, or better. At worst just a little bit worse. That guys like Josh Jooris and Mikael Granlund and Joe Colborne and Michael Ferland are all going to be NHL regulars and good ones at that.

To me this sounds exactly like what the Oiler fans have been doing. One good streak and every young player they have is destined for greatness. Never go full Oiler, we should know that better than anyone.

Fans crowning young players as established players or future stars is dangerous stuff.

And no, I don't think we'll head down the Oilers path just because fans get excited and like to make definitive predictions. It's the job of the management and the coaches to keep guys grounded and keep them developing, and I feel like we have good people in place. Hartley has already had god-child Gaudreau on the popcorn row, and a veteran in Wideman. (Wouldn't even surprise me if both were deliberate moves to show the team who's got the reins.)

Yeah, getting excited is part of being a fan. I don't even know it if was better if nobody ever got ahead of things with stuff like that.

But people making statements like that still fill me with dread. It feels like bad karma. I don't even believe in karma, and it still feels wrong

Okay, got that off my chest. Sorry. Carry on.

Nice watering down job there! Okay, got that off my chest. Sorry. Carry on.

[Calgary4LIfe]

The best thing for Bennett would have been to go back to Juniors at the start of the season (I mean, not having this injury in the first place). Missing a year of development at his age definitely sucks.

However, at least he is surrounded by good vets and is getting first-hand knowledge at how hard NHL players have to work - and Calgary works much harder than your average NHL squad. Good for him to be around that environment. I also hope he has managed to work on his lower body/core strength since the surgery, but maybe he hasn't been able to yet.

I am betting his junior career is done. I think the Flames would have returned him to junior if he was back early enough for the WJC tournament. However, sounds like he is another month away at best. I think the Flames ramp him up slowly to the NHL this season. 3rd/4th line minutes for a couple of games. Sit out a game or two. I bet Bennett shows that he deserves to stay in the lineup past those 9 games, and with the Flames hopefully in the thick of a playoff hunt, it does make it more difficult to send him down.

I am 100% sure that the Flames will do what is best for Bennett. I just think they handle him slowly and carefully, and end up finding out that they simply can not send him back to Kingston.

[Itse]

Originally Posted by ramizle

Maybe I have rose coloured glasses on but I don't see why Ferland Granlund and Jooris couldn't be regular NHLers.

Oh I think they could too. But I will be a bit surprised if it happens for all of them. It's just pretty unlikely that every one of our top rookies plus an undrafted guy all make it pretty much at the same time.

We really should thank the Oilers for a lot though. It's really nice of them to give us such a big warning sign. They're so constant about it too. Year after year they find new ways to show the hockey world what not to do.

Also, we're so busy laughing at them that I think it helps take some of the attention off our own team.

[Tron_fdc]

Apologies if it's been asked, but can he be sent to Adirondack on a conditioning stint? If so would it affect his 9 games?

[Tron_fdc]

Originally Posted by Rick M.

I seem to recall reading that he could have a 14 day conditioning stint in the AHL and still play his 9 games with the Flames without burning a year off his ELC.

NM, found it buried a few pages back

[Freeway]

I expect Bennett on the roster when next season begins, and that's as bold a prediction as I care to make.

[Calgary4LIfe]

Originally Posted by Itse

Oh I think they could too. But I will be a bit surprised if it happens for all of them. It's just pretty unlikely that every one of our top rookies plus an undrafted guy all make it pretty much at the same time.

We really should thank the Oilers for a lot though. It's really nice of them to give us such a big warning sign. They're so constant about it too. Year after year they find new ways to show the hockey world what not to do.

Also, we're so busy laughing at them that I think it helps take some of the attention off our own team.

I thought of this too - I am sure many posters on this site have thought: "It is highly unlikely all these prospects pan out" along with: "I remember the Oilers trotting out their kids and look what happened!".

Reasonable doubt in my opinion, and it is not such a bad thing to temper our expectations and remain a bit humble through the success thus far. I often cringe when I go to HF and see a Flames-related post. You get the trolls going in looking for a rise, and sure enough someone takes the bait and says something over-the-top back, but that is just how it is with all the fans from all the teams.

Let me reassure you in a few ways Itse.

1) This is year 2 of the rebuild, and the Flames are experiencing an influx of talent from within the organization. Only ONE player - Monahan - is from a 'rebuild draft'. Why is that important? Well, typically teams have to enter a rebuild needing to draft a new core. Bennett, Poirier and Klimchuk have yet to get a single game in on the Flames (pre-season doesn't count). Those are just 1st round picks in two rebuild-drafts.

2) Flames are up to their eyeballs with legitimate depth guys who may exceed their initial draft-day ceilings. Gaudreau was a 4th round pick. Ferland a 5th. Brodie - can anyone say he isn't a top-pairing defender now? - is a 4th round pick. Jooris is undrafted. You still have Arnold who I think has an NHL-ready game and I bet he gets called up and makes an impression (and was a 4th round pick). Flames are getting plenty of 'surprises' from their prospects - and most teams actually do manage to find some nice surprises down in the rounds (except if you are the Edmonton Oilers of course).

3) There is going to be some disappointments. Baertschi has been 'disappointing' for instance (though it is far from being the end for him, and I think he will get back on track). Let's play Devil's advocate for a bit. What happens to the Flames' rebuild if Baertschi does bust? Can anyone at this point say that it going to be a horrible outcome since the Flames needed Baertschi? I wouldn't. I think there is enough depth and guys exceeding expectations that I think the Flames can have a decent amount of attrition without having to replace them in any way, and still come out of this successfully. If Baertschi, Ferland, Poirier, Klimchuk and Wotherspoon all 'bust', then I would be concerned... but then you have to go to point 4...

4) Development. Flames have started becoming a pretty damn good development organization. I think the Flames have been much better at drafting, but they have also been much better at development as well. They can show a lot of patience to prospects who may need a bit more time. I don't think there is any coincidence that the Flames are getting a number of lower round (and undrafted) prospects making solid contributions. Not all of them will succeed - and there simply is just not enough room on the Flames for them to do so - but it seems that many will. When the Flames have this much depth and competition to keep the prospects hungry and doing their best, and a coach on the Flames who seems to be rather good at managing their development once they get into the NHL, it reassures me a lot. Nobody is anointing any saviors (including Gaudreau). Nobody is putting prospects in a position to fail. Hartley has the flexibility to manage the ice-time a prospect gets - Baertschi had great games this season and last, and got as high as 20+ minutes in a game, and has also seen the bench as well as a scratch.

Though having players that bust sucks, it happens. You can't count your chickens before they hatch, but you sure as hell can be happy to see so many chicks breaking open their shells and taking that big first step followed by another, and then another.

[Joborule]

So since playoffs seems out of the picture now, is there any point to have Bennett even dress up for a game with the Flames if he's 100% prior to the season ending?

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Joborule

So since playoffs seems out of the picture now, is there any point to have Bennett even dress up for a game with the Flames if he's 100% prior to the season ending?

Playoffs are irrelevant. The Flames will handle Bennett in whatever way they deem best for his development.

[squiggs96]

Originally Posted by Joborule

So since playoffs seems out of the picture now, is there any point to have Bennett even dress up for a game with the Flames if he's 100% prior to the season ending?

They are three points back of the wild card and the division. There are 47 games left, and 4 of those are against Edmonton. Yeah, let's pack up shop. There is no way they can possibly make the playoffs.

[robaur]

Originally Posted by squiggs96

They are three points back of the wild card and the division. There are 47 games left, and 4 of those are against Edmonton. Yeah, let's pack up shop. There is no way they can possibly make the playoffs.

This is nowhere close to being a playoff team. They played way over their heads to begin the year. Let's just hope they suck enough to get a decent draft pick....because drafting 10-14 will be one of the greatest travesties in a long ass time.

[devo22]

Originally Posted by robaur

Let's just hope they suck enough to get a decent draft pick....because drafting 10-14 will be one of the greatest travesties in a long ass time.

I will never never never ever understand how people go "I hope my favourite team loses, and I hope they lose A LOT". If you ask me, that's the real travesty here.

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by robaur

This is nowhere close to being a playoff team. They played way over their heads to begin the year. Let's just hope they suck enough to get a decent draft pick....because drafting 10-14 will be one of the greatest travesties in a long ass time.

Such drama.

[Hot_Flatus]

Originally Posted by Joborule

So since playoffs seems out of the picture now, is there any point to have Bennett even dress up for a game with the Flames if he's 100% prior to the season ending?

Is that even a question? If Bennett is ready in a couple months I really doubt the organization would throw him into the fire and risk re-injury against NHL competition. They'll continue to work with him in YYC and most likely have a plan in place for him to play meaningful hockey in junior to wrap up the year. No need to panic here.