The Legend of Sam Bennett

[shadowlord]

Originally Posted by Joborule

I'm glad Benny is having a great start with the Panthers right now because it just further indicts that the Flames screwed up big time in how they handled him by hiring bad coach after bad coach, and never gave him the proper opportunity to flourish.

That's how you continue to be a franchise that is the king of mediocracy for +30 years. That's Flames identity.

Keep tearing it up Bennett.

I'd actually argue that it was not just Bennett who was mishandled, but the organization has not done a good job of development at the C position.

For Iginla's career here, we were constantly searching for a #1C for him. Backlund was the exception as one of the few C that we've drafted and developed successfully, but even he was a late bloomer, and you have to wonder if the Flames' organizational development plan played a role.

The development of Bennett has been debated and discussed to death.

I also think Monahan has been not been developed properly. He meshed so well with his shot and with Johnny that coaches just let the two do whatever they wanted to, but didn't work on other aspects of Monahan's Center-duties as long as his was scoring goals. Now, when they're together, I find Monahan always defers to Johnny to carry the puck, or bring it into the zone, etc. I remember the early comparisons of Monahan to Jonathan Toews, but those trajactories have long diverged.

Conny, Stajan, Langkow were decent centers, but they came from outside the organization.

It will be interesting to see what happens with Dube's development under Sutter. Although he's been playing mostly wing with the Flames, I believe he was drafted as a Centre. Did he play mostly C in Stockton?

[Patek23]

He needed a change of scenery. I don’t know where things went wrong but sometimes you just need a fresh start. I would not be shocked in the slightest if he turns into the player we all hoped he would be (and I hope does). But it was never going to happen here and I’m happy that he’s far away and I can cheer on his success without him biting our team in the ass.

[Poe969]

Should have kept Bennett and traded everyone else lol.

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by Flaming Homer

He needed a change of scenery. I don’t know where things went wrong but sometimes you just need a fresh start. I would not be shocked in the slightest if he turns into the player we all hoped he would be (and I hope does). But it was never going to happen here and I’m happy that he’s far away and I can cheer on his success without him biting our team in the ass.

This excuses the Flames’ organizational incompetence. We shouldn’t be doing that.

Originally Posted by Poe969

Should have kept Bennett and traded everyone else lol.

The playoff results clearly showed this. Management just ignored it.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by Flaming Homer

He needed a change of scenery. I don’t know where things went wrong but sometimes you just need a fresh start. I would not be shocked in the slightest if he turns into the player we all hoped he would be (and I hope does). But it was never going to happen here and I’m happy that he’s far away and I can cheer on his success without him biting our team in the ass.

Well to be fair it looked like it was starting to happen wit the arrival of Sutter... and then we traded him.

Classic!

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by bubbsy

I never want to see a highly thought of prospect from the chl come in during spring time games to get their first taste of the NHL. Let them play out the year in the minors and have a fresh camp to kick off their gig.

Bennett and baertschi's late season tastes seems to have broken both prospects...... There's gotta be a correlation there somewhere!

Minor weren’t an option
Which is too bad
It hurts many players who are too good for the chl and not good enough for the nhl

[tvp2003]

Seeing Bennett light it up would have normally been tough to watch as a Flames fan, but seeing as how my interest in the team is as low as it's been in years, it can't say it bothers me.

All three Bennett goals have been classic Sam -- swatting in garbage from around the net. I'm going to laugh if (when?) he scores 30 next season doing this.

Oh, and apparently Huberdeau + Duclair >> Gaudreau + Monahan

[Jore]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

Well to be fair it looked like it was starting to happen wit the arrival of Sutter... and then we traded him.

Classic!

I really like how they finally demoted Monahan and separated him from Gaudreau a day after Bennett got traded

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by tvp2003

Seeing Bennett light it up would have normally been tough to watch as a Flames fan, but seeing as how my interest in the team is as low as it's been in years, it can't say it bothers me.

All three Bennett goals have been classic Sam -- swatting in garbage from around the net. I'm going to laugh if (when?) he scores 30 next season doing this.

Oh, and apparently Huberdeau + Duclair >> Gaudreau + Monahan

Huberdeau is a significantly better player than anyone on the Flames
So is Barkov
Including because both elevate those they play with

[DazzlinDino]

Originally Posted by Flaming Homer

He needed a change of scenery. I don’t know where things went wrong but sometimes you just need a fresh start. I would not be shocked in the slightest if he turns into the player we all hoped he would be (and I hope does). But it was never going to happen here and I’m happy that he’s far away and I can cheer on his success without him biting our team in the ass.

Just maybe, just maybe we had a center under our nose but didn't know what to do with him!?

I still don't think he would have cracked our top two lines, he would have basically been boxed out. He wasn't going to get it done as Johnny's center and he wasn't going to get that opportunity on the second line so he was stuck with whatever skill was left on the 3rd line. It is more an indictment of how poorly the Flames are constructed.

[DoubleK]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Huberdeau is a significantly better player than anyone on the Flames

So is Barkov

Including because both elevate those they play with

Ryan is the only Flame player who makes his linemates better.

That's a problem.

[yourbestfriend]

Good to see Sam doing well. He's fit in perfectly with Duclair and Huberdeau.

As an aside, looking at that first goal, that little move Duclair did to receive the puck, how many guys on the Flames can you see pulling that off? This team needs more skill upfront.

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by tvp2003

Oh, and apparently Huberdeau + Duclair >> Gaudreau + Monahan

It helps that those two are wingers allowing Bennett to play his natural position. Everytime we square-pegged Bennett onto Monahan's wing I cringed.

[Icon]

Hot take - Bennett will be the Flames Hall. Wins the Hart next year.

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by DoubleK

Ryan is the only Flame player who makes his linemates better.

That's a problem.

Ryan's linemates are not NHL players, that is the only reason this statement is accurate. Guys who are on pace pace 5 goals over 82 games do not even elevate their own play, let alone their linemates. Having Ritchie as a linemate does make the statement accurate however.

[KootenayFlamesFan]

Originally Posted by tvp2003

Oh, and apparently Huberdeau + Duclair >> Gaudreau + Monahan

Huberdeau is much much better than either Gaudreau or Monahan. No wonder Sam is picking up some points playing on a line with him. Duclair has looked pretty decent this year too whenever I watch them.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Huberdeau is a significantly better player than anyone on the Flames
So is Barkov
Including because both elevate those they play with

I haven’t followed Huberdeau closely

Can you enlighten me on the beneficiaries of the Huberdeau effect?

[SportsJunky]

Yuck

[Tacoman]

We’re going to have to get used to this. Everyone knows our roster of players is better than how the team has played all year. So get used to every player we trade being significantly better with their new team than they were with us. I don’t get it. I don’t like it but it’s going to happen.

[Mr.Coffee]

It really does make no sense and obviously strikes me as an organization problem.

Player plays in Calgary = bad

Player leaves = good

Hmmm