July 23 Practice notes

[Enoch Root]

in other words, he will get his ice-time, because he is a useful player

[agulati]

If Ryan fits the third line better as per the coach, I can see them wanting to keep him there. 3rd line has more ice-time, tougher matchups and is expected to contribute more. I want Bennett to get the chance, but this has to be on who is a better fit in a position, as opposed to what position is a better fit for the player. I hope Bennett has a good week up to the first game, so he is able to work his way on to the third line.

On Bennett vs the rest of the 4th line, Bennett has to, and I expect will, play. I expect the revolving door to be between the other three (and most between Rinaldo and Rieder)

[SeanCharles]

Bennett will play, he’s one of our 10 best forwards - he might be #10 but nevertheless.

[bubbsy]

I'll say it..

Bennett getting demoted right away is dumb. He looked great with lucic and Dube this year, and has been brutal playing with guys like jankowski for years now.

Calgary flames have to own a lot of the blame in the handling and development (as does the player to some extent of course). Bennett gets maybe a period or two in the top 6, or a few games with some skill on the 3rd line but if they have 1 bad game, he's immediately demoted.

There's little willingness to let him develop or grow.

[Freeway]

Dube-Ryan-Lucic was the Flames' most consistently effective line in all situations and putting Bennett in the spot based on a very small sample size seems iffy to me.

[Roof-Daddy]

I said it in another thread, every new coach that has come in has played Bennett less than the coach prior.

That's pretty telling to me.

[DoubleK]

Originally Posted by bubbsy

I'll say it..

Bennett getting demoted right away is dumb. He looked great with lucic and Dube this year, and has been brutal playing with guys like jankowski for years now.

Calgary flames have to own a lot of the blame in the handling and development (as does the player to some extent of course). Bennett gets maybe a period or two in the top 6, or a few games with some skill on the 3rd line but if they have 1 bad game, he's immediately demoted.

There's little willingness to let him develop or grow.

How did he get demoted? The team hasn't even played yet.

[AustinL_NHL]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

I said it in another thread, every new coach that has come in has played Bennett less than the coach prior.

That's pretty telling to me.

Since Bennett entered the NHL, no coach has lasted more than 2 seasons with the Flames. He's on coach #4. So you can't use coaches not liking him as a telling statement when the coaches clearly haven't been good enough to stick around.

[Samonadreau]

Omg enough with the Bennett blah blah.Hes an average 3rd liner. So what if he's getting 4th line practice time. Except it and be happy hockey is almost back.

[djsFlames]

Yeah I really couldn't care less about the injustices of the placement of Bennett. It was a worthwhile debate years ago, not so much now.

Has he made a difference generally anywhere he's played up or down the line up? For brief moments, but he's a hugely inconsistent player no matter who he's with and still makes more of an impact with his poor penalties from game to game than with his plays.

We're not missing out on Gilmour Bennett because he's shuffled one seat closer to the back of coach.

[SeanCharles]

The thing about it that pisses me off is I think Bennett and Dube have chemistry.

I would like to see the team try and harness that.

I’m also extremely sick of seeing the Bennett and Janko combination.

[Harry Lime]

Originally Posted by SeanCharles

The thing about it that pisses me off is I think Bennett and Dube have chemistry.

I would like to see the team try and harness that.

I’m also extremely sick of seeing the Bennett and Janko combination.

You're just saying that because it is a horrible combination which brings out the worst in both players.

[bubbsy]

Originally Posted by SeanCharles

The thing about it that pisses me off is I think Bennett and Dube have chemistry.

I would like to see the team try and harness that.

I’m also extremely sick of seeing the Bennett and Janko combination.

Originally Posted by Freeway

Dube-Ryan-Lucic was the Flames' most consistently effective line in all situations and putting Bennett in the spot based on a very small sample size seems iffy to me.

My frustration is that any success Bennett has been able to figure out always comes with the 'small sample size' caveat. Outside of the superstars, don't all young players need a leash to grow, fail, grow?

Not worth getting overly annoyed just yet, not a game played... But I am not expecting any real opportunity provided to the kid. Hope this organization let's him out asap. He needs a team actually wanting to try to improve and develop him with actual investment in ice time, coaching and skilled linemates. A dozen games with old man jagr on his wing immediately showed development in Bennett's game.

[Joborule]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

I said it in another thread, every new coach that has come in has played Bennett less than the coach prior.

That's pretty telling to me.

Originally Posted by AustinL_NHL

Since Bennett entered the NHL, no coach has lasted more than 2 seasons with the Flames. He's on coach #4. So you can't use coaches not liking him as a telling statement when the coaches clearly haven't been good enough to stick around.

And the coach that won the Jack Adams with the Flames is the one coach that got the most production out of every other coach.

The Flames management of Bennett has been a complete cluster####. A coaches job is to help develop players as well, and they haven't been doing that with Bennett at all. There's been no patience given to him to give him legitimate opportunities over a prolonged period of time. Yet when playoffs come around, he's been consistently our better players each time.

He's going to thrive elsewhere when he's finally given consistent opportunities rather than only one shift, for one game per month.

[Wastedyouth]

Bennett is a rich mans Curtis Lazar. And that's not a good thing.

[Roof-Daddy]

Originally Posted by AustinL_NHL

Since Bennett entered the NHL, no coach has lasted more than 2 seasons with the Flames. He's on coach #4. So you can't use coaches not liking him as a telling statement when the coaches clearly haven't been good enough to stick around.

lol, well that's a good point I guess.

Still though, you'd think at least one of them would come in and say "hey, let's get Bennett more ice time, he's being underutilized here" if he really was getting the short end of the stick like many here seem to believe.

[DeluxeMoustache]

The Bennett thing is bizarre. I agree with those observing that he has chemistry with Dube, and also looks good as a Center

For some reason, he has an incredibly short leash any time he gets good linemates.

Meanwhile, Mangiapane was given a ton of opportunity. He had, if I recall correctly, something like an 11 game pointless streak, and he had all the leash in the world. It paid off. Now I like Mangiapane and the player he has become.

Amazing how a player with consistent, quality linemates can develop

[MikeMc]

Ryan is a much more consistent and trusted player...so this makes sense to me.

By all means Bennett go ahead and show up consistently on both sides of the puck and force your way off the fourth line.

This 'wrong linemates' and 'coaches don't give him a chance' narrative is incorrect and lame.

Personally I root for the guy, and every year I'm hoping he takes the next step - but he is what he is (at least right now). A depth forward who doesn't put up points. How does he have 4 assists in 52 games?

[sa226]

In my opinion Bennett has been given opportunities by each and every oach that has come in here. But, and I know this is the very debate that has raged on for aeons, he hasn't seized anything in the top six.

I have no idea if he puts too much pressure on himself, his skillset just hasn't transferred effectively to the NHL or any number of things, its just not happening.

In my mind the main opportunity Bennett hasn't received or taken advantage of is a significant injury to a top 6 mainstay. Mainly Monahan or Backlund. For 2 guys that have had some injury issues, Monahan and Backlund have hardly missed any time since Bennett was drafted. Gaudreau, Tkachuk, Lindholm, Frolik all have been remarkably health since Bennett arrived.

You don't wish for it, and a player shouldn't need it, but I do sometimes wonder how Bennett would have developed if he was thrust into a top six center, or even winger because of significant injuries and the team had no other choice. He could just go out and play, not going to sleep every night wondering if he was going to wake up to a 4th line demotion. Just play his game instead of trying to dangle through 5 guys because that would make him look like he belongs in the top 6 forward group.

There's plenty of blame to go around on the Sam Bennett saga, but I think there is an alternate history somewhere that he becomes the guy they thought they had when he was drafted 4th overall.

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[DeluxeMoustache]

Many times people have busted out the data on linemates, and the data, the facts just simply do not support the feeling that he has had material opportunities