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

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by Weitz

Bennett better live up to the hype he is getting here.

Wet Blanket Oiler Fan

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by RyZ

Or what?

Or we have a younger, left shooting Josh Jooris as well the real Josh Jooris? I'll take that floor anyday, regardless of how high the ceiling is.

[codynw]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

To some people skill = slick puckhandling and passing only. They don't, for example, think of Iginla as skilled.

Me, I think there are lots of skills. Speed, quickness, deking, passing, shooting...
To me a "skilled player" is a guy who has lots of those tools. Byron is really skilled, but only in regard to one skill

Is missing the net on a breakaway considered a skill? Because Byron's really good at doing that.

[Bandwagon In Flames]

Originally Posted by MrMastodonFarm

Wet Blanket Oiler Fan

Even worse, he's a Vancouver fan.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

I see the risk in playing him here (playing against men on a recently healed shoulder) but I don't really see the "huge reward" - is an 18 year old coming off surgery going to win a cup for the Flames?

Possibly, yes. Bennett is potentially THAT good.

Originally Posted by GioforPM

What really is the harm in sending him to junior in a year where Calgary will either just barely make the POs or just miss? Why do we need to see him this year, as opposed to October?

For me this is not about satisfying some fan-generated "need" to see Bennett play in Calgary this year. I honestly believe that he is good enough that he could possibly make a HUGE impact for the team down the stretch.

There is no "harm" in sending him back to Juniour at all, but I would also argue that if handled carefully, there is also no more "harm" in the Flames doing their due diligence to see how he handles playing at the NHL level now. If he can do it well; if he proves to be an impact NHLer now; then why not keep him in Calgary? If he belongs, what good reason is there to send him back to the OHL, especially in lieu of the "always earned, never given" mantra of this team?

The right thing to do is to monitor, test, evaluate, and decide. The team isn't doing that if they immediately dispatch him back to Kingston.

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

Possibly, yes. Bennett is potentially THAT good.


For me this is not about satisfying some fan-generated "need" to see Bennett play in Calgary this year. I honestly believe that he is good enough that he could possibly make a HUGE impact for the team down the stretch.

There is no "harm" in sending him back to Juniour at all, but I would also argue that if handled carefully, there is also no more "harm" in the Flames doing their due diligence to see how he handles playing at the NHL level now. If he can do it well; if he proves to be an impact NHLer now; then why not keep him in Calgary? If he belongs, what good reason is there to send him back to the OHL, especially in lieu of the "always earned, never given" mantra of this team?

The right thing to do is to monitor, test, evaluate, and decide. The team isn't doing that if they immediately dispatch him back to Kingston.

You articulated my thoughts that align with yours on the Bennett situation very well, thank-you.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

Possibly, yes. Bennett is potentially THAT good.


For me this is not about satisfying some fan-generated "need" to see Bennett play in Calgary this year. I honestly believe that he is good enough that he could possibly make a HUGE impact for the team down the stretch.

There is no "harm" in sending him back to Juniour at all, but I would also argue that if handled carefully, there is also no more "harm" in the Flames doing their due diligence to see how he handles playing at the NHL level now. If he can do it well; if he proves to be an impact NHLer now; then why not keep him in Calgary? If he belongs, what good reason is there to send him back to the OHL, especially in lieu of the "always earned, never given" mantra of this team?

The right thing to do is to monitor, test, evaluate, and decide. The team isn't doing that if they immediately dispatch him back to Kingston.

I got news for you - The Flames aren't winning the cup this year, which is what we are talking about.

As for "earned" - tell me - what has Bennett done to earn the displacement of a current roster player? And who do you get rid of (don't give me guys who have to be waived to make it happen because this is reality)?

There is plenty of potential harm in throwing an 18 year old kid with a recently injured shoulder into games at the crucial part of an NHL season (teams play a bit harder than in October). Look at what happened to Monahan in LA. That Regher hit on a Bennett shoulder is something he wouldn't face in the AHL, in all liklihood.

Let's do Red Wings development, not Oiler development.

[Ashasx]

I think we should send Bennett to Kingston, but it's not because of what the Oilers have done in the past.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

True, but the whole thing got started with my response to a post about Bennett making the NHL now because he's more "skilled" than Gaudreau. My comment (not speaking to others' comments) was specifically that the skill is different and therefore one making it has no predictive power towards the other making it

Not quite. The question was raised because of a post which claims that Bennett was just as skilled as Gaudreau, and I would agree that he probably is.

And do be clear, Bennett is not a player who merely survives on his grittiness and tenacity to overcompensate for other short comings. He is a skilled hockey player with exceptional skating, puck handling and distribution abilities, and his vision is superb. He potentially could be better in the long run than Gaudreau, because from my perspective he can do many of the same things Gaudreau does, but then combines it with a hell of a lot more physical game.

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

I have no idea where Bennett should be sent. But WHEN he is ready to go back to action, he should be sent wherever his development is best served, which includes taking into account any risk (IF there is risk) around his injury. Whether that is the NHL, AHL or Juniors, he needs to go wherever will make him a better player 2+ years from now.

I trust our coaches and management team will have that figured out, or at least take the right steps upon his return to figure that out.

[Five-hole]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Let's do Red Wings development, not Oiler development.

False dichotomy. Also, extremely simplistic analysis.

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

Not quite. The question was raised because of a post which claims that Bennett was just as skilled as Gaudreau, and I would agree that he probably is.

And do be clear, Bennett is not a player who merely survives on his grittiness and tenacity to overcompensate for other short comings. He is a skilled hockey player with exceptional skating, puck handling and distribution abilities, and his vision is superb. He potentially could be better in the long run than Gaudreau, because from my perspective he can do many of the same things Gaudreau does, but then combines it with a hell of a lot more physical game.

We can discuss lexicon all day, but Johnny's game =/= Bennett's game, so ones success does not foretell of another's. That's all I was getting across. Never meant to suggest he's not as good

[sureLoss]

McKenzie on Insider Trading:

• Bennett is expected to be practicing with the main group as early as next week
• could be cleared to play by mid February
• Flames have 3 options (no decision made just yet)
  1. send him to AHL for conditioning
  2. keep him in NHL lineup
  3. send him back to Kingston
• McKenzie says conventional wisdom is you don't drop an 18 year old into an NHL lineup at this point in the season

[IamNotKenKing]

Originally Posted by MissTeeks

Great, now I have Taylor Swift stuck in my head.

I thought you said bed, and was going to recommend you let her go before you get into trouble.

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

McKenzie on Insider Trading:

• Bennett is expected to be practicing with the main group as early as next week
• could be cleared to play by mid February
• Flames have 3 options (no decision made just yet)
  1. send him to AHL for conditioning
  2. keep him in NHL lineup
  3. send him back to Kingston
• McKenzie says conventional wisdom is you don't drop an 18 year old into an NHL lineup

Conventional wisdom is right. But it's up to Bennett to prove he can play. I think they're willing to give him that chance.

[Yoho]

I'm even nervous about conditioning stint in the AHL

[T@T]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

I think we should send Bennett to Kingston, but it's not because of what the Oilers have done in the past.

I think when Bennett is ready to see action you give him a 9 game cup of coffee so he gets the real idea of what the NHL is like.

[dammage79]

The hand wringing about Bennetts shoulder is odd. You do know the Flames have zero intention of letting him play or practice at all until it is 100% right? I mean that was the whole point of getting the Surgery done when it was.

He won't take a hit until the doctors clear him fully. I have faith in the Flames decision makers that they will not risk their prized prospect.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Five-hole

False dichotomy. Also, extremely simplistic analysis.

No, true dichotomy, and I while it's direct, it's not simplistic. There are two approaches which differ. That's a true dichotomy. Which one should we emulate?

Obviously situations differ and I didn't complain when Gaudreau or Monahan stuck. Gaudreau is older and Monahan bigger. Both were not recovering from injury.

I simply say, if there is doubt, err on the side of over ripening (the Detroit way).

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

No, true dichotomy, and I while it's direct, it's not simplistic. There are two approaches which differ. That's a true dichotomy. Which one should we emulate?

Obviously situations differ and I didn't complain when Gaudreau or Monahan stuck. Gaudreau is older and Monahan bigger. Both were not recovering from injury.

I simply say, if there is doubt, err on the side of over ripening (the Detroit way).

The point being, there aren't just two ways, the Oilers way and Detroit way. There's everything in between and outside factors that also contributed to the success and failure of each system, and even the reason the system was applied in each situation.

For example, maybe it wasn't that the players were thrown into the NHL too quickly in Edmonton's case, maybe it was that they didn't have the right coaching and or veteran player support in Edmonton to make it work.

In Detroit, did they so much as "choose" to develop talent slowly, or were they forced to develop talent slowly because they were constantly successful and therefore drafted much lower on the totem poll, meaning they picked up assets that required much more ripening at the AHL level before they could be thrown in.

There is no choice between the Oliers way and Detroit way, there are hundreds of different options and choices for each unique situation, team and player.