Sam Bennett Value: Have the Flames held on TOO long? OR is he awesome?

[Angelino]

Bennett is the new Stajan. Just keep him and let him toil on the lower lines maybe he can get a silver stick too...

[Lanny_McDonald]

Bennett is a player you use to sweeten a deal for a bonafide scorer. Brodie+Bennett should get you a guy that can score 30 goals. Let someone else assume the risk while the Flames profit.

[Sylvanfan]

Originally Posted by New Era

Bennett is a player you use to sweeten a deal for a bonafide scorer. Brodie+Bennett should get you a guy that can score 30 goals. Let someone else assume the risk while the Flames profit.

Except that the Flames seem to like risk more than profit when it comes to trades.

[TOfan]

Originally Posted by New Era

Bennett is a player you use to sweeten a deal for a bonafide scorer. Brodie+Bennett should get you a guy that can score 30 goals. Let someone else assume the risk while the Flames profit.

Wishful thinking.

If you're Pierre Dorian, for example, you're looking for a better deal than that for Matt Hoffman.

I'd sooner take Oscar Klefbom + from the Oilers.

[TOfan]

Flames fans should get used to the idea of Sam being a third line winger.

If the Flames of want to keep him I would look to acquire a C to play the 2nd line with Tkachuck.

Jankowski + Brodie for RoR (and a pick, ask for a 2nd). Fill the D gap left by Brodie internally (Anderson, Kylington, Valimaki).

Gaudreau Monahan Ferland
Tkachuck RoR ???
Bennett Backlund Frolik

[tvp2003]

I went back and watched some highlights from 16/17 (thanks AC!) and then all of his goals from 17/18:

• Nov 13 - backhand rebound in front of the net goes in five hole
• Dec 2 (#1) - sharp angle shot from the goal line squeaks through the goalie
• Dec 2 (#2) - partial 2 on 1, snap shot top corner
• Dec 9 (GWG) - stickhandles into the slot, backhand blocker side
• Dec 17 - 3 on 1, snap shot, far blocker side
• Jan 11 - Pass deflects off a stick and in (PP)
• Jan 30 - 2 on 1, centering pass slides through the five hole
• Feb 13 - alone in front of the net, snapshot low blocker
• Feb 22 - in the slot, deflects a centering pass top shelf with his backhand
• March 7 - corrals a loose puck in the slot, roofs it over the sprawling goalie
• March 9 - shovels in a backhand from in close, off his own rebound

Only a handful are what I would call "goal scorer" goals -- the two bolded ones above were basically him versus the goalie on an odd-man rush. His GWG against Vancouver was also a nice individual effort that showcased some of this other skills. However, I just don't see the goal scoring ability there other than pouncing on rebounds around the net -- AC's video is littered with scoring opportunities where he just isn't able to finish.

Fortunately he still has above average speed, vision, passing, and puck handling. He also plays with an edge, isn't afraid to throw the body, and can play a 200 ft game. Once he can figure how to stop taking dumb penalties, his floor will be a reliable effective third line player on a contending team. He's got one year left on his contract to hopefully show he has more to offer.

Edit: Bennett reminds me of the “young” James Neal in this piece. Unfortunately, I don’t think it’s quite that easy to learn how to score goals at the NHL level: https://www.theplayerstribune.com/en...edators-sniper

[Winsor_Pilates]

Keep him and see what he can do under a new coach.
Once he gets a hot streak, consider making a deal.

No point in selling low when the return won't be any value anyway.

[HerbalMagic]

Get a new coach and keep him.

Gaudreau - Monahan - new guy
Bennett - Backlund - Tkachuk


Before giving up on him I want to see him get a legit chance with good players for more than a couple games or a couple shifts at at time.

[GullFoss]

I continue to believe bennett has the skills of a top-3 forward. He just needs to playing in a system that preaches fast hockey. More checking, more transitions.

[Enoch Root]

and less thinking

[Macindoc]

At age 21, Boeser, playing with Vanek and Gagner, was scoring at a 0.8 ppg pace before going down with injury. At age 21, Bennett, playing with linemates that would not even make most other NHL rosters, scored approximately 0.3 ppg. Boeser got 1st line PP time, Bennett 2nd line PP. Bennett lost a year of development to shoulder surgery/reconstruction and is 4 months YOUNGER than Boeser, so Boeser is essentially 16 months ahead on the development curve and played with substantially better linemates and in more favourable situations. Boeser is considered to possibly be the future face of the Canucks' franchise, and was possibly the leading candidate for rookie of the year before being injured. And yet people want to use Bennett as a throw-in on a trade or give him away for virtually nothing.

If you want another example, look at Nathan MacKinnon. He is almost 2 years older than Bennett. Two years ago, he scored 38 points (in 64 games), last year he scored 53, and this year 97. Considering the year of development lost, this could be considered to be how Bennett projects to perform 3 years from now. Patience paid off with MacKinnon, and it could with Bennett.

Bennett has 2 main problems: being inserted into the lineup too early in his career instead of maturing in the minors (and as a result, not being able to be sent down for seasoning due to waivers), and being on a team that was fortunate to have 2 players (Monahan and Tkachuk) who were ready to make the step right away, making him seem a disappointment in comparison.

Give him 1-2 more years, and I suspect we will be thinking differently about Bennett. Remember, he is at least 2 years younger than any of the core members aside from Tkachuk, and again, he plays in less favourable situations with inferior linemates, and he lost a year of development due to his shoulder.

Trading away Bennett would possibly be a bigger mistake than the Oilers trading away Hall, because he would only recoup pennies on the dollar. Considering his ceiling, I would rather take a chance that he will still reach his potential, rather than having what little we would get in return for him.

[Calgary4LIfe]

Originally Posted by TOfan

Wishful thinking.

If you're Pierre Dorian, for example, you're looking for a better deal than that for Matt Hoffman.

I'd sooner take Oscar Klefbom + from the Oilers.

LOL

Klefbom has had ONE good season. Come on, you can just go and look at hockeydb and come up with that yourself. He was awful this season. Brodie at least has had a few really good seasons, and even when he doesn't, he still produces.

[stang]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

LOL

Klefbom has had ONE good season. Come on, you can just go and look at hockeydb and come up with that yourself. He was awful this season. Brodie at least has had a few really good seasons, and even when he doesn't, he still produces.

Klefbom was playing hurt this year. I think he’ll bounce back next year.

[CSharp]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

I'm pointing out that players of Bennett's pedigree who are trending towards disappointments often get more in return at this stage in their careers, when another team will still take a chance on potential rather than performance, than they do later. You're a draft watcher, I shouldn't have to point those players out to you. There are lots of examples.

The notion that there's nothing to lose by hanging onto Bennett is wrong. If this is all he's going to be, a 30 pt winger who takes bad penalties, then the Flames will absolutely get more back in a trade now than in another season or two. This team has to be shrewd and ruthless with asset management. A late 1st or equivalent prospect today is better than a 3rd rounder or equivalent prospect two years from now.

Very well said.

[TOfan]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

LOL

Klefbom has had ONE good season. Come on, you can just go and look at hockeydb and come up with that yourself. He was awful this season. Brodie at least has had a few really good seasons, and even when he doesn't, he still produces.

Klefbom's younger, cheaper & has more term on his deal. If Ottawa is about to start a rebuild, it doesn't seem like an outrageous idea to think they may prioritize these things.

Sure Klefbom had a poor season but at least you could say he was playing through injuries. What was Brodie's excuse for his poor play? He was absolutely terrible this year to the point where it looked like he was playing to get traded.

[GordonBlue]

so does everyone at least agree that the Bennett failed as a centre and going forward should be a winger?

[Classic_Sniper]

Originally Posted by Macindoc

At age 21, Boeser, playing with Vanek and Gagner, was scoring at a 0.8 ppg pace before going down with injury. At age 21, Bennett, playing with linemates that would not even make most other NHL rosters, scored approximately 0.3 ppg. Boeser got 1st line PP time, Bennett 2nd line PP. Bennett lost a year of development to shoulder surgery/reconstruction and is 4 months YOUNGER than Boeser, so Boeser is essentially 16 months ahead on the development curve and played with substantially better linemates and in more favourable situations. Boeser is considered to possibly be the future face of the Canucks' franchise, and was possibly the leading candidate for rookie of the year before being injured. And yet people want to use Bennett as a throw-in on a trade or give him away for virtually nothing.

If you want another example, look at Nathan MacKinnon. He is almost 2 years older than Bennett. Two years ago, he scored 38 points (in 64 games), last year he scored 53, and this year 97. Considering the year of development lost, this could be considered to be how Bennett projects to perform 3 years from now. Patience paid off with MacKinnon, and it could with Bennett.

Bennett has 2 main problems: being inserted into the lineup too early in his career instead of maturing in the minors (and as a result, not being able to be sent down for seasoning due to waivers), and being on a team that was fortunate to have 2 players (Monahan and Tkachuk) who were ready to make the step right away, making him seem a disappointment in comparison.

Give him 1-2 more years, and I suspect we will be thinking differently about Bennett. Remember, he is at least 2 years younger than any of the core members aside from Tkachuk, and again, he plays in less favourable situations with inferior linemates, and he lost a year of development due to his shoulder.

Trading away Bennett would possibly be a bigger mistake than the Oilers trading away Hall, because he would only recoup pennies on the dollar. Considering his ceiling, I would rather take a chance that he will still reach his potential, rather than having what little we would get in return for him.

Wasn't Boeser a 2015 pick? That would make him younger than Bennett. I definitely wouldn't be comparing Bennett to a potential Hart Trophy candidate in Hall either, if anything Bennett is closer to a Yakupov than he is Hall.

People won't want to hear it, but there has to be some intellectual honesty here. Sam is a support player, not a driver of play. He doesn't have the same tools as a guy like Boeser. He doesn't have his shot and he doesn't think the game at the same level. He's been in this league for over 3 years now and we're still seeing wild inconsistencies in his game from his rookie years.

If this team truly wants to be a contender for the next few years while we still have Gio playing at a high level and Johnny still under contract, then we can't wait a few years for Bennett to maybe figure it out. We need a 3rd line that resembles a 2nd line in this league asap or we may be saddled with another awful bottom 6 again that tanks this team.

[smiggy77]

Personally, I think Sam is just going to be late bloomer into a solid 2nd-3rd line guy.

Short term, I would focus my efforts on moving Ferland or one of our D's for a solid 2nd line center (like a RoR or someone of that caliber) and building a line with Tkachuk.

Johnny - Monny - RW
Tkachuk - ROR - RW
Bennett - Backlund - Frolik

[bubbsy]

Originally Posted by GordonBlue

so does everyone at least agree that the Bennett failed as a centre and going forward should be a winger?

I actually feel stupid for even suggesting this but no I'm not 100% closed off on the idea. He's great at generating speed thru the neutral zone and gaining the zone when playing with confidence.

If there's a change in his linemates and perhaps a new voice coach, I'd be willing to give it some time in camp.

[The Boy Wonder]

Originally Posted by bubbsy

I actually feel stupid for even suggesting this but no I'm not 100% closed off on the idea. He's great at generating speed thru the neutral zone and gaining the zone when playing with confidence.

If there's a change in his linemates and perhaps a new voice coach, I'd be willing to give it some time in camp.

I agree and think that if he is given a true top 6 assignment is: either generating offence off the rush or playing second line and making backlund 3C as shut down line could work... BUT it would require a new coach and new strategy for how the line is supposed to play.