You can't compare Roberts to Bennett - If you do, it's the other way around. Bennett is nothing like Roberts and likely will never achieve what Roberts has done. Yeah, Roberts did have huge back issues after his prime years with the Flames. But when he came back and landed with the Pens, he was a vet who was instrumental for the Pens to win it all that year. So, whatever whining Roberts did, he gets a pass.
Yeah, he never played for the Pens when they won anything. He played some games the year before
The Following User Says Thank You to Beatle17 For This Useful Post:
My recollection, which may be wrong, was that Roberts was supported by the Flames in rehabbing and getting back into playing shape, but then basically got his way on a trade request. But it’s not like it was a lop-sided trade. Calgary just didn’t manage to recognize what they had in Giguere.
The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to GioforPM For This Useful Post:
The owners are scared to death of what a rebuild would mean for the sustainability of the franchise, and it is hard to blame them with the examples on hand.
In more than 25-years a Canadian team has not managed to see a rebuild successfully through to a championship. The best result may have been the 2011 Vancouver Canucks, and it took nearly ten years and two management changes from the time the Sedins were drafted before they started to see tangible results.
Since then, the Winnipeg Jets have floundered in mediocrity, the Oilers remain an awful team after winning FOUR draft lotteries, and the Maple Leafs had to invest over $30 m on their top-three forwards without a single playoff-series win to show for it. The Flames were drawing fewer than 12,000 fans to watch hockey in the dark times, and seeing what Ottawa and Vancouver are suffering right now is enough to make them think twice about scorching earth.
IMO It's a bit or a correlation vs. causation question...is the refusal to properly/patiently rebuild the reason for this sustained mediocrity Canadian teams?
There are a lot of different ways to screw up a rebuild, whether you're in Canada or the US. The Oilers and Leafs bottomed out the most and had the most luck, but it isn't that hard to see where they went wrong.
Most of the other CAD cities are the result of refusal to initiate rebuild and/or impatience once in it. The CAD teams do seem to fall into those traps the same...
Yeah, he never played for the Pens when they won anything. He played some games the year before
My bad, but Roberts was brought in for leadership and toughness added to the Pens. I thought he won it with them but apparently he was shipped out to the Lightnings a year before they the Pens won the Cup in 2009. Anyway, still can't compare Bennett to Roberts. It's like comparing a greatness to mediocrity.
The Following User Says Thank You to CSharp For This Useful Post:
Yeah, 41 goals (pro-rated to 47 goals had he played all games). All without Makarov on the team. So I'm not sure if I would say every goal he scored was because of Makarov...
Also saying that he never came close after leaving the Flames (and Makarov who had already long gone) conveniently ignores the fact that he had what was thought to be a career ending injury with the Flames that forced him to retire. So yeah, after he could no longer move his neck and spent a year out of hockey (plus missed much of the two seasons prior) somehow he wasn't able to pull a Lemieux and come back and dominate.
Last edited by Oling_Roachinen; 02-09-2021 at 04:12 PM.
Roberts is a great comparison to Bennett. I know I have thought so for a long time as well.
For those like me who grew up watching that team with Roberts, he for sure wasn't a guy that many people had pegged on being a top line winger. I think him being friends with Nieuwendyk helped, as the fact that the line took a crap load of abuse and needed some toughness to protect them. That was Roberts. He himself probably didn't even think his hands were as good as they were.
That's the opportunity that Bennett has. It is actually eerily similar. I hope that Bennett takes this and runs with it. He needs to have some stability and to start building up his confidence. He has nothing right now.
Also, Gary Roberts and Sam Bennett have another thing in common - they both had very strong reputations in the playoffs. For those that followed Roberts after Calgary, one of my best memories of him was his almost single-handed destruction of the Sens in a playoff series. They couldn't handle him anywhere on the ice. He was Toronto's most effective playoff performer. He was top 3 in playoff points in Toronto for 3 out of the 4 years he was there (one year he was injured). He was an absolute playoff beast, just like Bennett.
Bennett even fights like Roberts:
Roberts:
Bennett:
Gary Roberts was one of my favourite of all time. Just a player that got it all done, and became such a strong leader. I remember when he came back from his neck injury, and was such an inspiration to everyone. Not only an inspiration, but he almost forced the Flames into the playoffs that year. I haven't been as excited about a player in Calgary again for many years - he was the leader that year, no question about it.
I think it is worth holding onto Sam and give him the rope to be valuable. I think he can be. Not saying he will be Roberts 2.0, but he has a lot of similar traits that Roberts did, and regardless of how much you like or dislike Bennett, he becomes one of Calgary's more important players during the playoffs, and he has done so every season. That's worth something at least.
The Following 8 Users Say Thank You to Calgary4LIfe For This Useful Post:
Roberts is a great comparison to Bennett. I know I have thought so for a long time as well.
I had high hopes for Bennett and that's all but gone. He's only gritty when he feels like it, poor puck control, and stupid penalties at the worst times. He couldn't hold up Roberts jockstrap. Roberts was a legend IMO especially with what he went through. Bennett's gotten the silver spoon and pissed it away. I won't miss him when he's gone.
The Following User Says Thank You to IGGYRULES For This Useful Post:
Yeah, there are some similarities to Roberts (high pick, disappointing start, tough, but more of a middle weight), but Roberts figured it out after, what, 3 years in the league? Sam hasn't come close to finding his role.
__________________
From HFBoard oiler fan, in analyzing MacT's management:
O.K. there has been a lot of talk on whether or not MacTavish has actually done a good job for us, most fans on this board are very basic in their analysis and I feel would change their opinion entirely if the team was successful.
Gary Roberts, Joey Mullen two of my favorite players!!! I agree with those who see some similarities with Bennett and Gary Roberts! Nieuwendyk had an influence on Roberts much like Iggy had on Conroy. Nothing to lose sticking Bennett with some top line players to see what he has. IMHO it should have happened a lot sooner.
The Following User Says Thank You to DazzlinDino For This Useful Post:
One thing i didn't miss about Roberts and Niewy leaving. Every flipping broadcast they always mentioned that they played lacrosse together when they were kids. Who the eff cares?
Worse than Pardy being from Newfoundland.
__________________ Peter12 "I'm no Trump fan but he is smarter than most if not everyone in this thread. ”
One thing i didn't miss about Roberts and Niewy leaving. Every flipping broadcast they always mentioned that they played lacrosse together when they were kids. Who the eff cares?
Worse than Pardy being from Newfoundland.
That’s a peculiar thing to be annoyed about.
__________________
The Following 11 Users Say Thank You to Mightyfire89 For This Useful Post:
I feel like Columbus could be a great fit. They need centres, and they have a coach that could likely push Sam to balance on the edge.
What do they have of interest?
Also, I have to think that the Flames should focus on stocking the cupboards rather than getting another third line plug that we could easily sign in the off-season for peanuts due to the flat cap.
I agree with the Roberts/Bennett comparison
also to say Bennett hasnt found his game yet isnt fair, he hasnt had the same opportunity either. Roberts' team had Niewendyk, MacInnes, Suter, Mullen, and half a dozen other future stars ... not dissing on our current lineup but that team was pretty special and we dont really know what we have here now yet.
I feel like Columbus could be a great fit. They need centres, and they have a coach that could likely push Sam to balance on the edge.
What do they have of interest?
Also, I have to think that the Flames should focus on stocking the cupboards rather than getting another third line plug that we could easily sign in the off-season for peanuts due to the flat cap.
One guy I would interested in is C Liam Foudy. 6'2", and an elite skater. He could develop into a complimentary top-6 player, but he's better suited to bottom-6 duties. Not sure if they would part with Foudy for Bennett. CBJ has a very poor prospect pool right now.
I was a huge advocate for bringing in Roslovic when he was with Winnipeg, but he's not going anywhere. I've always been a fan of Boone Jenner-6'2"C with size and grit (they probably don't want to part with any centers) and D David Savard has been on the block for awhile.
The Following User Says Thank You to Sandman For This Useful Post:
Sure, and Martin St. Louis is a great comparison for Matthew Phillips.
I know you aren't being the least bit serious or open-minded, but I will take the time to give you my two cents anyway.
No, St. Louis and Phillips aren't quite similar in my mind. The most similar player to St. Louis on the Flames is Mangiapane. Out of all the 'small guys' in the org, I think Mangiapane most resembles the play style of St. Louis. They both play physical and drive towards the net, and use their low center of gravity to maintain control of the puck. Mangiapane is getting better and better all the time, and I think he will benefit from working on mirroring St. Louis' 'tree trunk legs', as it will help him battle. Gaudreau shouldn't bulk up that much as he is more of the shifty playmaker.
Phillips - at least to me - falls somewhere in the middle of that. If you really pressed me for a comparison to a former Flame, I would say it would be Mullen - small, tough in the way he takes punishment, seemingly does really well even though you keep expecting him to fail.
Also, you must really fricken hate Bennett if you can't even acknowledge a similar play style. It is either that, or you haven't seen Roberts playing. Bennett is a LOT like Roberts. Doesn't mean he will be as good as Roberts or have his career, but he does PLAY much the same way as Roberts did.
Since you brought up St Louis, I am sure that you were one of the handful of people that felt St Louis was a can't miss player who would go on to have HHOF career, right? He showed less in Calgary than Bennett did. Flames never gave him a real good look with good players.
That's all us fans that see 'something' in Bennett want - for Calgary to make absolutely sure that they aren't 'St Louis-ing' or "Giguere-ing" or even "Savard-ing" him before trading him away. So far, so good I would say.
The Following 6 Users Say Thank You to Calgary4LIfe For This Useful Post:
