The Hockey News: 31 NHL players who should be better than this

[Karl]

http://www.thehockeynews.com/news/ar...tter-than-this

[MoneyGuy]

Some undervalued players to target in trades?

[Roof-Daddy]

I get the Brouwer pick but for the Flames my biggest disappointing player is Bennett.

If he had developed like Mony and Tkachuk did this teams depth scoring wouldnt be nearly as much of an issue.

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

I get the Brouwer pick but for the Flames my biggest disappointing player is Bennett.

If he had developed like Mony and Tkachuk did this teams depth scoring wouldnt be nearly as much of an issue.

I still proclaim “look at the circumstances”. If Bennett had continued to play with Backlund, I wonder what we’d be saying about him because we were generally pleased with his rookie season as a winger.

He then got fed to the wolves and burdened with the biggest anchors on this team.

Since being removed from Backlund’s wing, the best player he’s played with has been Jankowski - who is a rookie centre. That’s good, and I’m really excited to see them together going forward. It’s just not something we should or can overlook - no other young players in the league get asked to do what Bennett was asked to do at that age. Young players generally get played with better players which allows them to learn and build their game at the NHL level. Bennett got to centre Troy Brouwer, Kris Versteeg, Alex Chiasson. That’s tough sledding for for anyone (Brouwer makes/made Johnny and Sean ineffective), let alone a 1st year centre.

Bennett also shows up in the playoffs, and has shown us glimpses of being a very good forward. Continued patience is required (not that you’re saying it isn’t), because the positives are there.

[GranteedEV]

If Vancouver wants to do a Gagner / Brouwer+ swap....

[topfiverecords]

Was expecting all Oilers minus McDavid.

[868904]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

I still proclaim “look at the circumstances”. If Bennett had continued to play with Backlund, I wonder what we’d be saying about him because we were generally pleased with his rookie season as a winger.

He then got fed to the wolves and burdened with the biggest anchors on this team.

Since being removed from Backlund’s wing, the best player he’s played with has been Jankowski - who is a rookie centre. That’s good, and I’m really excited to see them together going forward. It’s just not something we should or can overlook - no other young players in the league get asked to do what Bennett was asked to do at that age. Young players generally get played with better players which allows them to learn and build their game at the NHL level. Bennett got to centre Troy Brouwer, Kris Versteeg, Alex Chiasson. That’s tough sledding for for anyone (Brouwer makes/made Johnny and Sean ineffective), let alone a 1st year centre.

Bennett also shows up in the playoffs, and has shown us glimpses of being a very good forward. Continued patience is required (not that you’re saying it isn’t), because the positives are there.

I love Bennett's grit and toughness but I just don't see the skill level to be a big point producer. His competitiveness helped him will points in junior but in the NHL, you need skill to put up points.

I think Flames fans should just settle for a Mike Fisher type of career for Bennett, which really wouldn't be that bad.

If Bennett can score around 40 points every year and play with grit and toughness, he can still be a big contributor to the team. In fact, he'd probably be the next captain of the Flames after Giordano.

[JD]

I'm having troubles seeing what made Bennett a high pick to begin with. He's a tasmanian devil of a competitor, but he's not big and strong, he isn't really fast, he doesn't have reach, his shot is a muffin, and he takes a lot of bad penalties. Maybe this is just the look of a slumping player that has lost his confidence, but I don't really see top 6 out of him. I think he'll have a solid NHL career and probably contribute to his team's successes, but I don't think he will live up to the pedigree. And that's really a shame.

I really hope what I'm seeing is just an aberration.

[Eric Vail]

Bennett reminds me of a less feisty Doug Risebrough.

[crapshoot]

Originally Posted by Eric Vail

Bennett reminds me of a less feisty Doug Risebrough.

You really reached back for that one, didn't you? I like it!

[Hockey Fan #751]

Originally Posted by Eric Vail

Bennett reminds me of a less feisty Doug Risebrough.

Just don't let him become general manager!

[1Nite]

Originally Posted by Eric Vail

Bennett reminds me of a less feisty Doug Risebrough.

Wasn't he supposed to be like another Doug, his GM in Kingston?

[hansmoleman]

Originally Posted by 1Nite

Wasn't he supposed to be like another Doug, his GM in Kingston?

Was going to say that it never really bothered me that Sam Bonnet isn't going to live to expectations as there wasn't anyone better drafted after him. And then I looked...

Rd Num
1 25 David Pastrnak L 223GP 80G 93A
1 9 Nikolaj Ehlers L 208GP 60G 81A
1 15 Dylan Larkin C 212GP 48G 68A
1 8 William Nylander C 158GP 40G 75A
4 112 Viktor Arvidsson R 191GP 56G 55A
3 79 Brayden Point C 121GP 38G 48A

I would take any of those in a 1-for-1 trade with the exception of maybe Larkin.

[DynamRyan]

Originally Posted by 1Nite

Wasn't he supposed to be like another Doug, his GM in Kingston?

Was gonna say, he reminds me of Killer. Just without the skill and hockey smarts. Same tenacity.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Huntingwhale]

Brouwer needs to be better, but he is what he is. If he was playing at 1/3 his salary, no one would care.

IMO who belongs on that list are:

a) Sam Bennett
b) TJ Brodie

Both have shown to be much better players in the past. Both have shown flashes this season. Both have had ups and downs. If both play like they have shown they can, the team will be much better.

If Brouwer plays better, does it really affect the team more positively then Bennett or Brodie would? I would say no.

[Hot_Flatus]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

I still proclaim “look at the circumstances”. If Bennett had continued to play with Backlund, I wonder what we’d be saying about him because we were generally pleased with his rookie season as a winger.

He then got fed to the wolves and burdened with the biggest anchors on this team.

Since being removed from Backlund’s wing, the best player he’s played with has been Jankowski - who is a rookie centre. That’s good, and I’m really excited to see them together going forward. It’s just not something we should or can overlook - no other young players in the league get asked to do what Bennett was asked to do at that age. Young players generally get played with better players which allows them to learn and build their game at the NHL level. Bennett got to centre Troy Brouwer, Kris Versteeg, Alex Chiasson. That’s tough sledding for for anyone (Brouwer makes/made Johnny and Sean ineffective), let alone a 1st year centre.

Bennett also shows up in the playoffs, and has shown us glimpses of being a very good forward. Continued patience is required (not that you’re saying it isn’t), because the positives are there.

The fact fans are continuously searching for someone to help Bennett out in itself is an indicator he is not the player he was drafted to be. Not even close. I don't think Bennett should be better than this, he is what he is and that's a fringe NHLer that is still living off of his draft status.

Had he been able to develop effectively like some of the other young players in recent years, you'd probably be talking about a much deeper, dangerous Flames team this season. The hole his poor play has created this season is actually costing the Flames big time if you consider how much the staff was banking on him finally panning out. Instead, the team has a third line with Brouwer and Bennett equally deserving of each other as line mates.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by hansmoleman

Was going to say that it never really bothered me that Sam Bonnet isn't going to live to expectations as there wasn't anyone better drafted after him. And then I looked...

Rd Num
1 25 David Pastrnak L 223GP 80G 93A
1 9 Nikolaj Ehlers L 208GP 60G 81A
1 15 Dylan Larkin C 212GP 48G 68A
1 8 William Nylander C 158GP 40G 75A
4 112 Viktor Arvidsson R 191GP 56G 55A
3 79 Brayden Point C 121GP 38G 48A

I would take any of those in a 1-for-1 trade with the exception of maybe Larkin.

Generally when looking back at the draft and if another player should have been selected - I like to look at the picks around 1-5 spots later. For instance it isn't realistic to suggest that the Flames would have drafted someone who went in a later round, with the 5th overall pick. And I know you are saying that but when you apply that lens it really highlights the only guys realistically that would have been options are Nylander (who has a lot of flaws, and Ehlers).

For what its worth I believe the guy they would have taken if not Bennett would have been Nick Ritchie.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Wild GM

Generally when looking back at the draft and if another player should have been selected - I like to look at the picks around 1-5 spots later. For instance it isn't realistic to suggest that the Flames would have drafted someone who went in a later round, with the 5th overall pick. And I know you are saying that but when you apply that lens it really highlights the only guys realistically that would have been options are Nylander (who has a lot of flaws, and Ehlers).

For what its worth I believe the guy they would have taken if not Bennett would have been Nick Ritchie.

I agree, except they might have gone with Nylander since he was supposedly a centre and they were still looking down the middle at that stage. At the time wouldn’t we all have howled if BT bypassed Bennett for anyone on that list. I don’t think Ehlers was in the mix at all.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

I agree, except they might have gone with Nylander since he was supposedly a centre and they were still looking down the middle at that stage. At the time wouldn’t we all have howled if BT bypassed Bennett for anyone on that list. I don’t think Ehlers was in the mix at all.

The other thing is that for them not to take Sam, someone else would have dropped. One of Ekblad, Reinhart or Dry-Saddle.

And more than likely that's the guy they would have taken.

Not shaping up as a great draft at the top end. Even Ekblad has been really up and down. Reinhart isn't looking great. Sam is underwhelming. And we don't really know what Leon is yet absent playing with Mayor McCheese

[Geeoff]

Originally Posted by The Hockey News

CALGARY FLAMES: Troy Brouwer
The game has gotten faster, but bump-and-grind Brouwer has not.

Brouwer's skating's probably not even the worst part of his play IMO. He's definitely faster than Matt Stajan at least. :P