Practice notes July 20. Groups split into Main and taxi squads.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Sandman

Disagree. Earlier this year, Bennett looked great playing 3rd line C in Ryan's abscence. He even started putting up numbers. I thought: there's no way they take Bennett out of that spot when Ryan comes back, he looks too good. First practice that Ryan was in, Bennett was gone. They didn't even keep him there for a game or two to see if it would still work.

Exactly. I am really surprised he has not asked to be moved yet. I think he is a prime candidate to break out on another team that will give him more opportunities.

[AC]

Listening to Loubardias with Steinberg from earlier today. I agree with Lou, Rinaldo seems to have the inside edge currently for making the 4th line.

I would have thought Czarnik coming in would get a long look, but the fact that he's not being considered for PP2 says a lot.

Rinaldo seems like a nice wildcard for the 4th line because he brings speed, forecheck, and a really scary level of physicality that can surely make Winnipeg's D make mistakes like Ferland did vs Vancouver.

[1qqaaz]

Yes, the Flames media seem to be pretty impressed with Rinaldo. If I'm not mistaken, he has scored in both games.
I'm fine with him willing his way onto the team. The team could use his energy.

But I'd rather have Czarnik in the lineup than Reider. The bottom two lines won't have a ton of offense. They could his Czarnik's contributions. Although it would be hard to bench both Jankowski and Reider. The PK would miss them.

Loubo has been very impressed with Dube. Says he looks like he might be ready to become an impact player.

It'll be interesting to see how this turns out.

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

Exactly. I am really surprised he has not asked to be moved yet. I think he is a prime candidate to break out on another team that will give him more opportunities.

I think this every time his name is brought up in trade proposals, and although there is not sufficient data to support it, it would happen just cuz it seems like it would be our luck.

[Roof-Daddy]

Dube seems to be following along nicely in Mangiapane's footsteps.

Hopefully they both become legit top 6 forwards over the next couple of seasons. Mangiapane is juuuuuust about there already.

[CsInMyBlood]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

Exactly. I am really surprised he has not asked to be moved yet. I think he is a prime candidate to break out on another team that will give him more opportunities.

Why do the Flames not want Sam Bennett to succeed?

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by CsInMyBlood

Why do the Flames not want Sam Bennett to succeed?

It seems like the coaches, cuz Tre and Connie love him. His fancy stats during that stint as 3rd line C were stellar(as were those of his linemates), so it's kind of puzzling....

[1qqaaz]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

Dube seems to be following along nicely in Mangiapane's footsteps.

Hopefully they both become legit top 6 forwards over the next couple of seasons. Mangiapane is juuuuuust about there already.

I actually think Ward, during his short time as coach, might deserve some credit for the development of the younger players. I'm sure Huska has helped.

But guys like Mangiapange, Dube, and Andersson seem to be getting better.

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by 1qqaaz

I actually think Ward, during his short time as coach, might deserve some credit for the development of the younger players. I'm sure Huska has helped.

But guys like Mangiapange, Dube, and Andersson seem to be getting better.

I'm not sure what's going so right down on the farm, but the guys coming through there look great when called up as well.

[SeanCharles]

Originally Posted by Sandman

I'm not sure what's going so right down on the farm, but the guys coming through there look great when called up as well.

It starts with the scouting.

Pretty solid to get a handful of NHLers from the 2015-17 drafts in Mangiapane, Dube, Andersson, Valimaki and Kylington. Especially since most seem to be on the path to becoming impactful players.

I also really like Pettersen, Zavgorodny, Ruzicka and Pelletier’s trajectories.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by CsInMyBlood

Why do the Flames not want Sam Bennett to succeed?

I think the organization wants him to succeed for sure, of course they do. I think the coaches he has had have not given him the right opportunity to do so. There is a mindset difference between the office and the coaching staff.

[Lil Pedro]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

I think the organization wants him to succeed for sure, of course they do. I think the coaches he has had have not given him the right opportunity to do so. There is a mindset difference between the office and the coaching staff.

What a load of crap, Bennett has had every opportunity to move up in the lineup and stay there over the last 5 years, but his inconsistent play and dumb penalties have reduced him to places lower in the lineup. He wasn't capable of playing centre early on (which was fine), so they put him on the wing. He never excelled there nor show that he could play higher up in the lineup other than for a game or two. Even when there was an injury in the lineup and he slotted higher, he didn't take a position away from someone else. That's the coaches fault? I think this organization has given the highest draft pick in team history lots of chances to succeed; Bennett hasn't taken hold of any of those opportunities. He's a prime candidate for a new team next year.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

I think the organization wants him to succeed for sure, of course they do. I think the coaches he has had have not given him the right opportunity to do so. There is a mindset difference between the office and the coaching staff.

Coaches are highly incentivized to ice the lineup that gives them the best chance of winning. It doesn't mean they are immune to bad decisions or mistakes, but the fact that multiple coaches have placed Sam in the line-up in the same place - isn't a fluke.
He has an opportunities. Plenty of them. He needs to earn more and better ice-time.

[BigErnSalute_16]

Originally Posted by Lil Pedro

What a load of crap, Bennett has had every opportunity to move up in the lineup and stay there over the last 5 years, but his inconsistent play and dumb penalties have reduced him to places lower in the lineup. He wasn't capable of playing centre early on (which was fine), so they put him on the wing. He never excelled there nor show that he could play higher up in the lineup other than for a game or two. Even when there was an injury in the lineup and he slotted higher, he didn't take a position away from someone else. That's the coaches fault? I think this organization has given the highest draft pick in team history lots of chances to succeed; Bennett hasn't taken hold of any of those opportunities. He's a prime candidate for a new team next year.

Lots of chances to succeed? like when he had a really strong rookie season with Backlund then immediately got demoted the following year? It could have been to try him out as a centre but then they put an essentially rookie centre (because he hadn't played there in the NHL before) with a carousel of old slow offensive blackholes until it got to the point that they demoted him even further with worse players.

Whenever he has shown chemistry with someone they either have gotten hurt or he's been demoted again.

Then GG came in and stifled any offensive creativity he had with his system but still demoted him for not producing even though it was partially his fault for the lack of production.

Then Bennett consistently showed up each time the Flames made the playoffs and eventually forced their hands to move him up the lineup (way too late I might add) but then was immediately put on the 4th line to START training camp the following year. Why not see if he can continue that play with better players?


This year when Bennett replaced Ryan during his injury was the best hockey outside of the playoffs I have ever seen from Bennett. And the numbers showed they were basically just as effective as when Ryan was there.

So why not leave him there and let him gain confidence knowing you are in the home stretch before playoffs? Imagine playoff Sam Bennett who starts with confidence on a line he has chemistry with?

Plus Ryan has a history of making those around him better so it makes logical sense to me to leave Bennett where he was since they were producing the same as before and see if Ryan can get the most out of the fourth line players like he did with Mangiapane and Hathaway thus giving the flames 4 strong lines instead of three by wasting Bennett at left wing with a centre who doesn't seem to give a crap and a rotating RW of replacement players.

So ya I do think they haven't given him a proper chance to succeed and I think this is an opportunity for them to do so at a position where he is obviously more comfortable.

[Wastedyouth]

I see we have reached the Sam Bennett unwarranted optimism point of pre-post-season, season. Where a kid who has barely held his head above water in the NHL despite being given plenty of opportunity to do otherwise in his career, is lamented for lack of the opportunities that he isn't entitled to, much less deserves.

I am sure it will fade away, much like it does every year, for Bennett. Probably about 2 weeks in, once its clear his decision making on the ice is pretty terrible and he is taking unnecessary offensive zone penalties because he can't keep up with the play.

[Monahammer]

We have seen players on this current squad given less opportunity than Bennett and show more: Mangiapane got sporadic games on the 4th line to start out and yet he bulldozed his way into our top 6 over 3 seasons. Dube started last year getting sporadic 4th line time, worked his way on to the third line this year, and now is poised to keep on moving up too.

Bennett was gift wrapped a top 6 spot to start, did alright but not amazing, and was surpassed by a better player in the same position (LW- tkachuk.) He didn't have the chops to stick at centre up the lineup, or he would have. He's not like Mangiapane or Dube where his play made other top 6 players potentially expendable. And he is at a bit of a disadvantage because he seems to disappear on the right wing, is no where close in talent to the two LWs above him, and takes far too many penalties to play C in the top 6. It's not an opportunity thing. It might be a confidence thing, but if so that shouldn't be on the flames to coddle a player who might mayyybe one day become a consistent top 6 player.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by BigErnSalute_16

...This year when Bennett replaced Ryan during his injury was the best hockey outside of the playoffs I have ever seen from Bennett. And the numbers showed they were basically just as effective as when Ryan was there....

Let's not get carried away, here. It was all of two games that Bennett played in Ryan's absence: an 8-4 loss to Chicago, and a 6-4 win v. Anaheim.

It's not nothing, but two games against poor-to-average teams is also hardly anything from which to evaluate effectiveness.

Sent from my SM-G960W using Tapatalk

[ComixZone]

Only fans of the Calgary Flames would see centering Troy Brouwer as an “opportunity”. Only Calgary Flames fans would see playing with James Neal as an “opportunity”. Only Calgary Flames fans would see playing with Mark Jankowski as an “opportunity”.

Bennett and Dube performed well when Derek Ryan was out. Ryan came back, and Bennett was cast aside. Bennett was our best forward in the playoffs last year, and was moved up the line-up to try and help the emotionless players in our top six. When the new season started? It was right back to the bottom of the line-up.

Sam Bennett, if moved, will do significantly better elsewhere because he won’t be playing for a Calgary Flames head coach. Coaches that can’t keep their heads above water, and once they stop coaching here they never get head coaching jobs in the NHL again.

He’s not a superstar, but he’s better than the treatment the Flames have given him.

[Monahammer]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

Only fans of the Calgary Flames would see centering Troy Brouwer as an “opportunity”. Only Calgary Flames fans would see playing with James Neal as an “opportunity”. Only Calgary Flames fans would see playing with Mark Jankowski as an “opportunity”.

Bennett and Dube performed well when Derek Ryan was out. Ryan came back, and Bennett was cast aside. Bennett was our best forward in the playoffs last year, and was moved up the line-up to try and help the emotionless players in our top six. When the new season started? It was right back to the bottom of the line-up.

Sam Bennett, if moved, will do significantly better elsewhere because he won’t be playing for a Calgary Flames head coach. Coaches that can’t keep their heads above water, and once they stop coaching here they never get head coaching jobs in the NHL again.

He’s not a superstar, but he’s better than the treatment the Flames have given him.

We've had 4 fricken coaches since Bennett came to Calgary. Not all of them have a hate on and are interested in suppressing Bennett's talent. Maybe, just maybe, they are better talent evaluators than us and none of them saw what it took out of Bennett to deserve moving him up. The same set of coaches meanwhile did move up plenty of other notable young players during the same period.

It's not a grand conspiracy, it's just the reality. Bennett is never going to be a top 6 player (for a playoff bound squad) anywhere in this league.

[ComixZone]

None of those coaches have coached at the head coach position after they left here - and all but one are entirely out of the league, meanwhile Bennett is still playing in the NHL.

Bennett is a better player than those coaches are at their jobs.

It’s no conspiracy, it’s just continued incompetence.