Quote:
Originally Posted by sureLoss
Aaron Vickers @AAVickers
No concern over contract. Sam Bennett will go 10 games and beyond, according to Hartley. #Flames
Derek Wills @Fan960Wills
Even though he has played 9 games for #Flames, Sam Bennett will be in the line-up for Game 3 vs. #Ducks tomorrow. #ANAvsCGY
|
Pretty easy and obvious (non)decision for the Flames - Bennett is contributing to the team and has earned a top 9 spot.
Pinder was trying to make the case this morning that it is in the long term interests of the team to save the contract. That is dead wrong IMO.
Sure, at the beginning of the year, or when talking about post-surgery, the long term interests of the team and the player are primary.
But this is different - and it's not just that it's playoffs (though that is huge), it's that Bennett has demonstrated that he is clearly one of the contributing players. The ONLY reason to sit him is to save the contract.
And that poses its own problem: if you screw the player to save the year of the ELC, it will simply cost you later. If they did that to Bennett, his agent would simply say, "ok, if that's how you want to play it, we'll see you in 3 years". ANd then he plays hardball with them.
The Flames aren't going to just avoid paying Bennett - he would simply demand more later.
Guys like Pinder can talk about 'thinking long term' but when teams pull crap like that, it only costs them more in the long run.
Bennett is getting invaluable experience and it will only make him a better player. You take that a smile.
