If Kingston is out, should the Flames bring in Bennett

[the2bears]

Originally Posted by Table 5

One thing to remember is that Jarome Iginla was on a team that went deep in the playoffs multiple years in a row, won two Memorial Cups, and was named the WHL player off the year. He had 56 points in his WHL playoff career alone.

Sam Bennett has not advanced past the 1st round once in 3 years and has 14 playoff points in that time-span. I like the guy as much as anyone else, but let's not pretend that he's experienced every accolade and milestone there is outside of the NHL, and that any other experience will hold him back. We'd have been much better off if he took this midling Kingston team on his shoulder and bulldozed his way past a few rounds. Frankly, I don't see how 2 assists in 3 games, and being a -4, can be considered anything but a bit of a letdown considering his pace in the last month of the season. If we look at it objectively, if he's not producing in the OHL playoffs, what makes us think he will in the NHL playoffs. Always earned, never given, right?

I'd be excited to see him play, and I don't think its a massive deal one way or another whether he plays in the NHL or AHL this year, but I guess in a year that has had a 21 year-old Gaudreau fight for a Calder, a 20 year old Monahan emerge as one of the leagues young stars, Josh Jooris come out of nowhere, and rookie appearances from promising players like Granlund, Ferland, Shore, Poirier and Wolf...it seems a little weird that people are still not satisfied with the amount of youth on this team this year.

I guess I just don't get the frantic need to get him on this team. Sam will be a star for this team for many years to come...let's enjoy who we have playing for us today. They are the ones who got us into this situation.

"Frantic"?

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Table 5

One thing to remember is that Jarome Iginla was on a team that went deep in the playoffs multiple years in a row, won two Memorial Cups, and was named the WHL player off the year. He had 56 points in his WHL playoff career alone.

Sam Bennett has not advanced past the 1st round once in 3 years and has 14 playoff points in that time-span. I like the guy as much as anyone else, but let's not pretend that he's experienced every accolade and milestone there is outside of the NHL, and that any other experience will hold him back. We'd have been much better off if he took this midling Kingston team on his shoulder and bulldozed his way past a few rounds. Frankly, I don't see how 2 assists in 3 games, and being a -4, can be considered anything but a bit of a letdown considering his pace in the last month of the season. If we look at it objectively, if he's not producing in the OHL playoffs, what makes us think he will in the NHL playoffs. Always earned, never given, right?

I'd be excited to see him play, and I don't think its a massive deal one way or another whether he plays in the NHL or AHL this year, but I guess in a year that has had a 21 year-old Gaudreau fight for a Calder, a 20 year old Monahan emerge as one of the leagues young stars, Josh Jooris come out of nowhere, and rookie appearances from promising players like Granlund, Ferland, Shore, Poirier and Wolf...it seems a little weird that people are still not satisfied with the amount of youth on this team this year.

I guess I just don't get the frantic need to get him on this team. Sam will be a star for this team for many years to come...let's enjoy who we have playing for us today. They are the ones who got us into this situation.

His team has scored 3 goals and he's been in on 2 of them. He has clearly demonstrated (during the regular season) that he is dominant in the OHL.

He has also demonstrated in practice (I've watched him) that he is an NHL player.

This isn't about getting more youth on the team. It's about adding a good young player that I have no doubt can make a real contribution to the team.

There is no rush - no one is rushing him. He's ready. Plain and simple.

[Enoch Root]

by the way, the AHL/NHL debate is pretty much moot at this point - Adirondack is all but dead in the water after losing tonight.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

His team has scored 3 goals and he's been in on 2 of them. He has clearly demonstrated (during the regular season) that he is dominant in the OHL.

Im not really sure 11 games in the regular season necessarily demonstrates he's ready for the NHL. I mean that run he was on was amazing, but thats a pretty small sample size.

This isn't about getting more youth on the team. It's about adding a good young player that I have no doubt can make a real contribution to the team.

Would a guy like Granlund or Ferland or Shore, or hell, perhaps Porier, not be able to fill that role? They have played well in the same role that Bennett would be in (3rd liner, going in and out of the lineup). David Wolf was a total spark-plug in his callup...that type of energy could be nice too.

He's ready. Plain and simple.

I'm not sure a good preseason camp, 11 games in the regular season, and 3 playoff loses really justifies being able to say that yet.

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

by the way, the AHL/NHL debate is pretty much moot at this point - Adirondack is all but dead in the water after losing tonight.

That definitely changes things for sure...but I guess then the question is again, why not reward one of the AHL guys instead?

Again, not saying that he wouldn't make a positive contribution, I guess I'm just not convinced that it's such a slam-dunk-no-brainer decision to bring him up.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Table 5

Im not really sure 11 games in the regular season necessarily demonstrates he's ready for the NHL. I mean that run he was on was amazing, but thats a pretty small sample size.


Would a guy like Granlund or Ferland or Shore, or hell, perhaps Porier, not be able to fill that role? They have played well in the same role that Bennett would be in (3rd liner, going in and out of the lineup). David Wolf was a total spark-plug in his callup...that type of energy could be nice too.


I'm not sure a good preseason camp, 11 games in the regular season, and 3 playoff loses really justifies being able to say that yet.

Again, not saying that he wouldn't make a positive contribution, I guess I'm just not convinced that it's such a slam dunk no brainer decision to bring him up.



That definitely changes things for sure...but I guess then the question is again, why not reward one of the AHL guys instead?

He is better than those guys. He is as talented as Gaudreau, IMO, though with a different skillset

[FBI]

Table5 here I'll help put your mind at ease:

Bennett is going to be the man.

Relax and enjoy the ride!

[Enoch Root]

Also, once Adirondack's season is over, some of those guys will be brought in as well.

[JohnnyTitan]

I have no doubt he'll be joining the Flames minutes after his final OHL game -> for the simple reason that he's an NHLer right now. Today. Ready to contribute.

Maybe he's not better than 80% of the team, but he's an upgrade on Raymond or Bollig as mentioned earlier. It will be an amazing boost to an amazing playoff push and despite the differing opinions in this thread, we will unanimously be cheering our asses off for him and the rest of the team vs Vancouver two weeks from now.

Sam is not like other prospects and it is time that Sam took his rightful place on the Flames roster.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by FBI

Table5 here I'll help put your mind at ease:

Bennett is going to be the man.

Relax and enjoy the ride!

That's exactly what I'm doing...which is why I'm totally fine with the status quo. This season is already a heaping full of awesome, and I'm totally ok with spreading out the anticipation of Bennett to next season.

[Enoch Root]

don't worry, he'll be here next year too!

[Wastedyouth]

But has Dustin Boyd signed yet?

[GoJetsGo]

Originally Posted by Table 5

Would a guy like Granlund or Ferland or Shore, or hell, perhaps Porier, not be able to fill that role? They have played well in the same role that Bennett would be in (3rd liner, going in and out of the lineup). David Wolf was a total spark-plug in his callup...that type of energy could be nice too.

Bennett is a different class of player than any of those you mentioned.

This is about the potential to add a game-breaker to us at a crucial stage in the season. It's got nothing to do with spreading out excitement or anything like that.

We have a guy who can potentially step into our lineup now and make this team better at a crucial stage in the season. Suggesting there's no need to do that because we've overachieved up to this point is a really odd stance.

[blender]

As great as the Flames have performed this season, and as proud of them as we are as fans, it is fair to say that they are not a complete team (early in the rebuild). There is a lack of size, skill, and scoring that Bennett COULD help address.

Only the coaching staff are in a position to determine if Bennett is ready, but if they think he is, then it's a no-brainer IMO.

[Azhouse]

Gamebreaker

[robaur]

Please please please please get eliminated so you can play the Oilers on Saturday....

[PeteMoss]

Originally Posted by Table 5

One thing to remember is that Jarome Iginla was on a team that went deep in the playoffs multiple years in a row, won two Memorial Cups, and was named the WHL player off the year. He had 56 points in his WHL playoff career alone.

Sam Bennett has not advanced past the 1st round once in 3 years and has 14 playoff points in that time-span. I like the guy as much as anyone else, but let's not pretend that he's experienced every accolade and milestone there is outside of the NHL, and that any other experience will hold him back. We'd have been much better off if he took this midling Kingston team on his shoulder and bulldozed his way past a few rounds. Frankly, I don't see how 2 assists in 3 games, and being a -4, can be considered anything but a bit of a letdown considering his pace in the last month of the season. If we look at it objectively, if he's not producing in the OHL playoffs, what makes us think he will in the NHL playoffs. Always earned, never given, right?

I'd be excited to see him play, and I don't think its a massive deal one way or another whether he plays in the NHL or AHL this year, but I guess in a year that has had a 21 year-old Gaudreau fight for a Calder, a 20 year old Monahan emerge as one of the leagues young stars, Josh Jooris come out of nowhere, and rookie appearances from promising players like Granlund, Ferland, Shore, Poirier and Wolf...it seems a little weird that people are still not satisfied with the amount of youth on this team this year.

I guess I just don't get the frantic need to get him on this team. Sam will be a star for this team for many years to come...let's enjoy who we have playing for us today. They are the ones who got us into this situation.

So you'd rather him go down and play meaningless games in the AHL?

Hartley isn't going to jam him into the lineup if he's not ready.

Its not about youth... its about putting the best team on the ice possible.

[skudr248]

Please ####ing lose !! Wrote this in the last 2 GDT's (albeit "win" for the Flames) so hopefully this one works as well

[ThatsRobbery]

Yeah I don't know really. I'm just worried if a defensemen happens to get hurt and we need TSpoon to come up but used the last call-up on Bennett instead when we have adequate forward depth atm. But he could be a gamebreaker. If we had an extra call-p left I would be all over bringing him up.

[robaur]

Originally Posted by ThatsRobbery

Yeah I don't know really. I'm just worried if a defensemen happens to get hurt and we need TSpoon to come up but used the last call-up on Bennett instead when we have adequate forward depth atm. But he could be a gamebreaker. If we had an extra call-p left I would be all over bringing him up.

I think we can manage without Wotherspoon's 8 mins a night for the last couple games of the season.

[heep223]

Ideally Kingston loses tonight, so the Flames can dress him against the Oilers in a sheltered role on the wing and just see how he does. Go from there.