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

[IgiTang]

Originally Posted by Hot_Flatus

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.

Jobo is asking a legit question. No panic about it.

Where does Bennett fit upon his return to being 100% healthy? Calgary?

Where ever the Flames want him to play or whats best for his Dev, really isn't adding any insight, its just... Antagonistic.. Which seems to be the theme of CP lately... Sadly..

I think Bennett gets to see some late season action in a Flames uni. But spends a good month or so conditioning.

[Bezer]

I think I may be in the minority but I'd say send him to junior when he is ready this year then send him down next to junior for a year and let him play in the World Juniors next year. If I remember correctly he is on the younger side of his draft class and had one less year of development.

He has missed this year of development so let him make it up. There really is no need to rush him.

All that being said, I suspect he will make a strong push to make the Flames next year but if he shows he isn't ready mentally or physically then I have no problem letting him going down and dominate.

[Lanny_McDonald]

Originally Posted by Bezer

I think I may be in the minority but I'd say send him to junior when he is ready this year then send him down next to junior for a year and let him play in the World Juniors next year. If I remember correctly he is on the younger side of his draft class and had one less year of development.

He has missed this year of development so let him make it up. There really is no need to rush him.

All that being said, I suspect he will make a strong push to make the Flames next year but if he shows he isn't ready mentally or physically then I have no problem letting him going down and dominate.

Bennett hasn't missed a year of development. He's been around the club and getting an opportunity to work with some of the best training staff in the league. He's been able to see how real professionals approach the game. He may not have been on the ice a lot, but he has been in the mix of being around the hockey club and learning. It's not like the situation Sieloff found himself in last year where he was at home and completely away from the game. Bennett has had opportunity most junior aged kids don't get by being around the NHL squad for an extended period of time and learning the things he needs to do to take the next step.

[Bezer]

Staying up with the big club is great but he is not competing in games.. so yes he will miss a good portion of this years development.

But of course if your opinion is him staying up with the big club and getting mentor-ship and such is worth not playing in junior for a year then humbly, I disagree.

I think he needs to play games and get better and better because the jump from the junior to the NHL is an enormous step.

But don't get me wrong I think Sam Bennett is one of the most important pieces to be drafted in recent Flames history so I'd rather not "Oiler" him but let him develop properly.

[Lanny_McDonald]

Originally Posted by Bezer

Staying up with the big club is great but he is not competing in games.. so yes he will miss a good portion of this years development.

But of course if your opinion is him staying up with the big club and getting mentor-ship and such is worth not playing in junior for a year then humbly, I disagree.

I think he needs to play games and get better and better because the jump from the junior to the NHL is an enormous step.

But don't get me wrong I think Sam Bennett is one of the most important pieces to be drafted in recent Flames history so I'd rather not "Oiler" him but let him develop properly.

We are looking at the problem differently. The Flames could have totally Oilered him. They could have sent him back to junior, hoping his shoulder would get better, and monitor the problem from afar. Instead they acknowledged the problem right away and got him in to see the team doctors and got the surgery done. The Flames are the ones working directly with the player and have their doctors and trainers making sure the player is doing all the right things to rehab and prepare for a long NHL career. He probably would not be getting that in the OHL. His exposure to the pro environment is a huge benefit while he recoups from his injury. I'd rather have him working with the Flames than with his junior squad. I would prefer he was playing, but because he is rehabbing an injury we are very lucky the situation is what it is. He will be learning a lot being around the pros, during a time when he wouldn't be doing anything in junior, and seeing first hand how hard they work to prepare. I don't view that as lost development, especially when you consider Baertschi's development challenges and his path to the NHL.

[Huntingwhale]

If Bennett can make a comeback this season, it should be in Junior and no where else. What purpose could is possibly serve the Flames to have a rookie who hasn't played a single game all season long, coming of shoulder surgery, to go up against fully grown men who have been accustomed to the grinds of the regular season and are in full season form? Nothing good can come from that whether we are close to the playoffs or not. Games tighten up at the end of the year, and are much more physical as teams try to tune themselves up for the playoffs. The Flames are playing big teams like the Flyers, Kings, Blues, Bruins and Ducks in the last couple months. A fresh rookie kid coming off shoulder surgery is not only going to have a target on his back, but Hartley will most likely ease him in with 10+mins per game. What's the point? Yes it's nice he's hanging around the club and getting the feel of being a pro and I think that's great for his development off the ice. But on the ice, Bennett should be kept back.

[Azhouse]

I think giving Bennett sheltered minutes in a few NHL game will help his development. To fully "Oilerize" him we need to give him 6-7 million per year for 10 years and coronate him as our #1 center before he ever touches NHL ice.

[Tinordi]

Sending him back to junior is about as "no brainer" as decisions come.

Let him find his legs and his timing again. This season is nothing but a mark in the road. Get him into shape to compete at camp next year.

What's the cost-benefit of throwing him into a late season NHL schedule besides allowing the most impatient few fans to risk the development of our best prospect just so that they can play with a shiny new toy?

[Alberta_Beef]

I'd be willing to bet he gets sent to Adirondack on a conditioning stint before management decides anything. He will play on the farm for 2 weeks then when he is activated from IR he will either play in Calgary or Kingston, if he plays very well for the farm club and you have to think he will get a shot at a few games with the big club before being sent to the OHL.

[Lanny_McDonald]

Originally Posted by Tinordi

Sending him back to junior is about as "no brainer" as decisions come.

Let him find his legs and his timing again. This season is nothing but a mark in the road. Get him into shape to compete at camp next year.

What's the cost-benefit of throwing him into a late season NHL schedule besides allowing the most impatient few fans to risk the development of our best prospect just so that they can play with a shiny new toy?

Completely agree. The only place inside a NHL arena that Bennett should see for the remainder of this season is the training room. He needs to go back to junior, work that new shoulder, and get his timing back. We'll see him next camp.

[PugnaciousIntern]

Originally Posted by Alberta_Beef

I'd be willing to bet he gets sent to Adirondack on a conditioning stint before management decides anything. He will play on the farm for 2 weeks then when he is activated from IR he will either play in Calgary or Kingston, if he plays very well for the farm club and you have to think he will get a shot at a few games with the big club before being sent to the OHL.

I'd honestly be surprised if he was sent to the AHL. Those are big guys, and we have to remember that he's a rookie with ZERO professional games under his belt. Even if it's called a 'conditioning stint' and he gets 'sheltered' icetime, there's only so much you can do as a coach to protect a rehabbing kid, who hasn't played a game all year, in a league with bigger guys than he's played with before.

If they send him to juniors, I think it'll be straight there, not through Adirondack. And with Burke in the organization, I'd say his chances of going to juniors are 99%.

[Fighting Banana Slug]

I for one thought he would be sent straight back to junior after camp. I understand Treliving or Hartley announced that he made the team, but I really didn't see much point in him sticking, even for 9 games. He was/is pretty small and I didn't think he dominated in the same way Monahan did. When he comes back from IR, I would suggest it makes even less sense to have him play in the NHL.

[Vinny01]

When the team was pushing for a playoff spot I was indifferent. I figured if he came back and played well in a conditioning stint he could start on his 9 games and go from there. Now that the team has fallen back to earth I think maybe giving him 1-5 games in the NHL then sending him back to junior is the way to go.

[Hemi-Cuda]

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.

Playoffs aren't an option anymore, be realistic. The only team in the top 8 that could drop out now is Winnipeg, but they have a 4 point gap on the Flames with a game in hand. The Flames are also being chased by Minnesota, Dallas (who have seemed to have things figured out finally), and Colorado, all within 5 points and all have multiple games in hand. The west is just too competitive now, an 8 game losing streak will kill any chance a team might have at a playoff spot

[Table 5]

It's really a no-brainer if you take the noise out of the equation.

The guy needs to mature physically….no matter how smart or talented he is, he is still undersized. That takes time, and can't be rushed. And while he might be around our trainers, he stills to put that knowledge to use in the gym and on the ice. Listening is not the same as doing.

And the likelihood of the playoffs should have even less impact on a Bennett decision. We could be a Stanley Cup favorite and I'd still send him back. Probably even more so.

Send him back to Junior and re-assess at next year's camp. Our depth allows us to be patient, let's not be stupid.

[Robbob]

If they send him back to junior by Feb 11th then he would still get 20 regular season games in for Kingston (I think he is expected between late January and early February).

Those 20 games and a decent playoff run would give him as many games as a college player. So I think there is still enough games for him to get in and apply what he has learned off ice while rehabbing here.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

Playoffs aren't an option anymore, be realistic. The only team in the top 8 that could drop out now is Winnipeg, but they have a 4 point gap on the Flames with a game in hand. The Flames are also being chased by Minnesota, Dallas (who have seemed to have things figured out finally), and Colorado, all within 5 points and all have multiple games in hand. The west is just too competitive now, an 8 game losing streak will kill any chance a team might have at a playoff spot

Realism and cynicsm, while tend to go together, are not the same.

Nothing in your post is real except for the mention of the 8 game losing streak. The rest is just assumptions by you. Dallas had a 7 game losing streak earlier, so are they a lost cause, or is 8 games the threshold? Why is Winnipeg the only team that can fall back? Games in hand only mean something if they get made up.

The team has been competitve with the top teams all year and has hit a skid, albeit a tough one. If you don't think they can steer it back that's fine, but calling out optimistic people for being unrealistic seems a bit much considering they're 4 points out of 8th with over half the season left.

[Street Pharmacist]

Like I said in the fixing the flames thread. A new draft pick is like a lottery ticket everyone wants to scratch. Excited to see what it is, but a hockey prospect isn't a ticket. Development is always the best course and rarely is the NHL the place to do it

[squiggs96]

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

Playoffs aren't an option anymore, be realistic. The only team in the top 8 that could drop out now is Winnipeg, but they have a 4 point gap on the Flames with a game in hand. The Flames are also being chased by Minnesota, Dallas (who have seemed to have things figured out finally), and Colorado, all within 5 points and all have multiple games in hand. The west is just too competitive now, an 8 game losing streak will kill any chance a team might have at a playoff spot

With that kind of heart I'm surprised you don't cheer for the Oilers. If you don't think there's a chance that a team can overcome three points in 47 games, I don't know why you watch sports. They might not make it to the playoffs, and not many expected them to, but to say it is unrealistic they are out with 57% of the season remaining is the same attitude why the Oilers say they can't come back in any game when they are down by two goals. Yes they've lost 8 straight, but they are still right there even after losing those eight straight.

If the Flames can't make it in, how would Minnesota, Dallas and Colorado have any chance? The playoffs should just start in January and we don't need to waste anyone's time. Season's over folks? What if we win 3 of the next 4? Doesn't matter. You're three points back. What if we beat Winnipeg? Doesn't matter. You're out..

[1stLand]

When his shoulder is fully healed, this is what I would like to see go down.

Sam walks into the Flames Dressing Room. In the center of the room is a chin up bar. The team and management are huddled around in a circle (just like in the movie Fight Club).

There are 2 large banners covering the Team Stanley Cup Photo.
One says: 20 Chin-ups Calgary Flames NHL
The other one says < 20 Chin-ups Ontario Hockey League.