Bennett

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

No. This is wrong. Sean Monahan played his rookie season in 2013–14. He played 74 games before Gaudreau even had a NHL contract. Gaudreau did not play his first NHL game until 13 April 2014.

Also, you would do well to introduce some periods to your writing.

You may want to reread that

He said ‘after the first season’

Also, there is nothing new in this thread. I stand behind my post about the shell in the dumpster

[nik-]

Bennett killed the rebuild.

[The Fisher Account]

Counting down the days until Sam is a Kraken

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

No. This is wrong. Sean Monahan played his rookie season in 2013–14. He played 74 games before Gaudreau even had a NHL contract. Gaudreau did not play his first NHL game until 13 April 2014.

Also, you would do well to introduce some periods to your writing.

You misread their post.. they were contrasting sophomore seasons.

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by vinny93

If 23 was put in the same position, he would have failed as well, yes there is an onus on Bennett, I've never said that, but when his role is defined, and he plays with similiar skilled, fast players, he can and has been a force

That is where I disagree. Gaudreau benefited from Monahan as well. Bennett does not have the offensive ability that Monahan does and while Monahan is not a perfect center by any means he can score.

I think it is simple, Bennett is not a better center than Monahan or Backlund. He hasn't done much consistently while he is on the wing. Who does he displace? If he was a true top 6 player he could have forced himself into one holes on the wings the Flames have had for a while. Mangipane and Dube would not be passing him.

Also, he has had three coaches or whatever it is. I am going to believe that three coaches are failing too see a star in the making. I could buy it the Flames had the same coach for his entire career that didn't like him.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by GranteedEV

I would say we've got one such player on our roster. Mikael Backlund.

When he's on his game, he's an extremely potent top six forward, as we saw in the second half of last year.

When he's off his game, or being used out of position, he's ineffective, as we saw in the first half of last year, and so far this year.

Backlund didn't find his "footing" until the Flames were really, really bad in 2014. Then he suddenly got an opportunity to center a guy like Cammalleri, and from then on was solidified as a top six forward on our roster in coming years, with all the ice time that matches.

Maybe? But I am not convinced. Backlund struggled mightily with injuries his first three seasons, so it is pretty hard to say whether he was equally hampered by usage. In any event, Backlund's development looks pretty typical to my eye, and does nothing to convince me of your theories about Bennett.

You may feel differently, but I think confidence can affect even the best of players. I'll never forget how badly Sidney Crosby was playing in 2015. Then the coach got fired and he suddenly became... Sidney freakin' Crosby.

I think all hockey players are pretty inconsistent. The ones with a regular spot on the PP, especially the first PP, usually don't have as low lows because they get their touches there and don't see the same extended scoring slumps, even when their ES play is lacking.

Of course every player needs confidence to succeed. But I think it is wrong to suggest that this is the entire story, or even the most significant part of it. For me, there is just no evidence to suggest that Bennett is any more than he looks to be right now. I have said this a few times before, but it goes beyond looking at just his counting stats. He doesn't carry the puck well; he doesn't pass particularly well; he doesn't make good use of his line mates; he doesn't seem to see the ice very well; he doesn't seem to think the game at an especially high level.

I have been watching him closely since the start of the season, and I keep seeing the same things regardless of his line mates. He pretty regularly makes passes into opposing players's feet, or misses his target altogether; he fails to see the open man when he has the puck, and inevitably runs into traffic and turns it over.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Bennett made a nice pass to Backlund last game from behind the net in to the slot

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

You may want to reread that

He said ‘after the first season’...

Originally Posted by GranteedEV

You misread their post.. they were contrasting sophomore seasons.

I see that now, thanks. Periods would help a great deal.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

I see that now, thanks. Periods would help a great deal.

Username checks out

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

Bennett made a nice pass to Backlund last game from behind the net in to the slot

Good for him. He also missed another two or three that should have connected. Good offensive players need to be able to do it more than occasionally.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

Good for him. He also missed another two or three that should have connected. Good offensive players need to be able to do it more than occasionally.

If Backlund buries that, this thread doesn’t exist for another couple days or so

[ResAlien]

I’m not going to get overly fanatical about a bottom 6 player with a penchant for momentum killing offensive zone penalties. Keep him, trade him, cut him, whatever. Accept that he is the player that he is and move on. He busted and it’s ok to admit that.

[CsInMyBlood]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

Bennett made a nice pass to Backlund last game from behind the net in to the slot

He connects on a pass and it's like hes done some amazing thing.

Nevermind the 5 other passes he made that missed, were in skates or handed over to the opposition.

It's the same story every year. The excuses by those who believe he is something special are ridiculous. He lacks confidence? Why would he not be confident after the playoffs he had? Why not build upon that?

Sam Bennett is what he is because of Sam Bennett. Not his linemates, not his coaches, not his GM. Good players make their linemates better. The reality is Sam drags his down most nights. This is the main reason why he never lasts long in the top 6.

[timbit]

“If IFS were skiffs, we’d all be sailors.“

Lots of excuses, lots of blaming, lots of “IFS”.

Each of us are accountable for our own actions , whether they be successes or failures.

Yep, Sam too.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by CsInMyBlood

He connects on a pass and it's like hes done some amazing thing.

Nevermind the 5 other passes he made that missed, were in skates or handed over to the opposition.

It's the same story every year. The excuses by those who believe he is something special are ridiculous. He lacks confidence? Why would he not be confident after the playoffs he had? Why not build upon that?

Sam Bennett is what he is because of Sam Bennett. Not his linemates, not his coaches, not his GM. Good players make their linemates better. The reality is Sam drags his down most nights. This is the main reason why he never lasts long in the top 6.

Yeah, I don’t actually care, I was just having fun

I haven’t read a single new thing here. It’s a brand new thread with the same people saying the same things, nobody learning anything, and nobody changing anyone’s mind

Same old opinions being repeated ad nauseam

I shall step back and let it continue

And he does have the best moustache on the team

[Camronius]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

If Backlund buries that, this thread doesn’t exist for another couple days or so

What? People summarize the value of a player on one play?

Bennett has been terrible for a long time aside from Playoffs, where arguably his aggressiveness and poor decision making is hidden due to the "refs putting the whistles away".

He needs to learn to play within the game. Plays die on his stick consistently, often due to poorly attempted toe-drags or chip-ins where he is easily pushed off the puck. He takes ridiculous Benalties where he is often caught reaching because he is out of position, or just can't figure out that reaching in is going to result in those type of penalties.

I think we just need to accept that fact that he is a perennial 3rd to 4th line unintelligent player who can bring some energy, specifically in the playoffs. That's it.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by New Era

It drives you nuts because it is hard to defend. When you get past the "counting stats" and actually look at what he produces and how the team is forced to play him, the replacement argument is right on the money. Bennett is a 4th liner based on his abilities and production. He is not capable of playing and producing at the third line level with any consistency, so he get's 4th line minutes. What he does do is over-produces for a 4th line player, and by a small margin, so that makes people believe he can be a third line player with opportunity, except that when given opportunity he fails time-after-time. So that makes him a high producing 4th liner, but a 4th liner with a $2.55M price tag. That makes him grossly overpaid for what he brings.

It's already been defended.

Wouldn't call it easy, I had to look up a number of things (luckily I have all kinds of time these days!), but I wouldn't call it hard either.

Production/60 is a standard measurement of output, it's not like I took his production and divided it by the PSI in his Audi tires

Every year Bennett spends time on the fourth line, time on the third line .... but has averaged out to 1.41 P/60 which is roughly the 7th best forward on the average NHL team.

Not sure how you can really attack that ... it's simple math.

Maybe if you didn't want him to fail so badly you wouldn't find the need to walk out statements like replacement level. Read this topic, you'll see me saying I'm not that hopeful, may have to move him, he hasn't produced with good players. Suggested maybe he's isn't good enough to get the minutes he needs to be an actual third line player. Nothing glowing from me, but at least I'm firmly in reality about the situation.

But a guy with third line minutes and fourth line ice time is very much a discussion, and not a replacement level player.

No amount of your hyperbole is going to change that.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by nik-

Bennett killed the rebuild.

Wasn't that a Buggles recording?

[The Boy Wonder]

Just for the record Bennett has only taken two penalties this year, both in teh same game and one was a very bad call. The other was a stupid penalty. So this whole narrative about him "always" taking bad penalties is a bit overblown and it isn't a stretch to say that Derrek Ryan and his 2 penalties have both been much worse and stupider decisions than bennetts.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by Camronius

What? People summarize the value of a player on one play?

Not what I said. I was talking about the thread

If Backlund scores, the Flames do not lose a 1 goal game in the same fashion. Tkachuk probably doesn’t have his tantrum.

Bennett gets a point at a key time and the OP is overjoyed and holds his lament

CP likely has immeasurably better threads created

As for the rest of what you said, I have no interest