The Legend of Sam Bennett

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

It will always be among the biggest wtf in league history that we literally never played Tkachuk and Bennett together for even one game while they were both in calgary. Asinine.

Tkachuk was his third most common linemate in the three years 2017-2020 at 314 minutes

Only Backlund, Ryan and Hathaway higher.

[CliffFletcher]

Why do we assume Bennett would have become the player he is in Florida if he stayed here? There are hundreds of examples of NHL players finding their game after a change of address. It doesn’t mean the original team mismanaged the player. Sometimes it takes a new team, a new city, a new role - a total reset - for a player to find another gear.

If Sharangovich becomes a 35 goal guy with the Flames, that won’t mean the Devils screwed up or that he would have become that player in Jersey.

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Tkachuk was his third most common linemate in the three years 2017-2020 at 314 minutes

Only Backlund, Ryan and Hathaway higher.

Considering [Tkachuk Backlund Frolik] was a line for 3 seasons, I find that hard to believe. Not saying you're wrong, just saying I'm literally having a hard time believing it.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

Considering [Tkachuk Backlund Frolik] was a line for 3 seasons, I find that hard to believe. Not saying you're wrong, just saying I'm literally having a hard time believing it.

Not when you think of it in totals.

That's 105 minutes a season which is really, what? 9 games of five on five hockey.

Really speaks to how he played with almost everyone. But to say they didn't try him with Tkachuk would in error.

Backlund had 2200 minutes with Tkachuk and 1500 with Frolik as an example.

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

Why do we assume Bennett would have become the player he is in Florida if he stayed here? There are hundreds of examples of NHL players finding their game after a change of address. It doesn’t mean the original team mismanaged the player. Sometimes it takes a new team, a new city, a new role - a total reset - for a player to find another gear.

If Sharangovich becomes a 35 goal guy with the Flames, that won’t mean the Devils screwed up or that he would have become that player in Jersey.

One of the mistakes we made was Backlund as our #2C for so many years. He could have been the best #3C in the league on a deep and successful Flames roster, if we had just had the balls to play Bennett at #2C with Tkachuk.

Monahan Gaudreau
Bennett Tkachuk
Backlund Frolik

Each of those pairs could have been the anchors of our top 3 lines... Instead of the actual anchors we used, like Brouwer et al.

#2C was one of the first things Florida did with him.

[rhino]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

Why do we assume Bennett would have become the player he is in Florida if he stayed here? There are hundreds of examples of NHL players finding their game after a change of address. It doesn’t mean the original team mismanaged the player. Sometimes it takes a new team, a new city, a new role - a total reset - for a player to find another gear.

If Sharangovich becomes a 35 goal guy with the Flames, that won’t mean the Devils screwed up or that he would have become that player in Jersey.

I always felt Bennett was always mismanaged in Calgary. On the wing and never a solid run at centre with good linemates

[Bingo]

This is a debate that will seemingly go on forever.

I was a big Bennett backer when he was in Calgary, and in the end it's pretty easy to say he was mismanaged.

But the player has to kick the odd door down too.

It's not like he had one coach for 6 years that hated him.

I'd say the team put him in a position to succeed often, and he didn't claim it. An argument could certainly be made for a longer look in one of those opportunities creating a better chance to succeed, but he had opportunities.

[DazzlinDino]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

Why do we assume Bennett would have become the player he is in Florida if he stayed here? There are hundreds of examples of NHL players finding their game after a change of address. It doesn’t mean the original team mismanaged the player. Sometimes it takes a new team, a new city, a new role - a total reset - for a player to find another gear.

If Sharangovich becomes a 35 goal guy with the Flames, that won’t mean the Devils screwed up or that he would have become that player in Jersey.

I remember somewhere Conroy saying we should have given Sam Bennett more opportunities.

To say he wasn't mismanaged is like saying the organization couldn't have done a better job. I don't think they knew what they had in Sam Bennett. They didn't have the right coaching personal to bring out his abilities the way Florida does. You just have to look at how Ward was benching him with no explanation before he was traded. This was after he was "promised" to be moved to center and given more opportunities after a very strong playoff performance. Inspite of it all Bennett kept wanting to make it work even taking back his trade request. The focus at the time was more on counting on Johnny and Monahan to carry the team but they proved they were not ideal together in the playoffs they lacked size and grit. Flames might have had a much stronger team by pushing Bennett up the line up with Matt.

I think to some degree Bennett was the first domino that started the decline to the core. Those guys were buddies.

[dino7c]

Just a reminder that in Kadri's terrible, horrible, worst player of all time first season in Calgary he had more points than Bennet's career high

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Not when you think of it in totals.

That's 105 minutes a season which is really, what? 9 games of five on five hockey.

Really speaks to how he played with almost everyone. But to say they didn't try him with Tkachuk would in error.

Backlund had 2200 minutes with Tkachuk and 1500 with Frolik as an example.

I am also sure that if you look at their linemates, you’ll also find that when Bennett and Tkachuk did play together, they were often on with other Cs such as Backlund or Derek Ryan. Bennett was often deployed as a winger

So it comes down to how you define ‘trying him with Tkachuk’

Did they technically share the ice at times? Yeah.

Was he in his natural position? Well, no. Usually not.
Was there a significant amount of contiguous time? Like, say, a stretch of 8-10 games? No.

Geez. I’m sure some of those 100 minutes per season include situations like when the bench was shortened and Tkachuk was double shifted, so he got to join Bennett and Ryan on the 4th line.

It’s a real stretch to say they tried them together, if you consider trying as something meaningful

[GioforPM]

On paper, the deployment with the other highly touted first rounder and an experienced perrenial 20 goal scorer made sense for Bennett.

Backlund and Tkachuk were having a lot of success so it was just hard to get away from that. And he certainly wasn't moving the first line apart.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

I am also sure that if you look at their linemates, you’ll also find that when Bennett and Tkachuk did play together, they were often on with other Cs such as Backlund or Derek Ryan. Bennett was often deployed as a winger

So it comes down to how you define ‘trying him with Tkachuk’

Did they technically share the ice at times? Yeah.

Was he in his natural position? Well, no. Usually not.
Was there a significant amount of contiguous time? Like, say, a stretch of 8-10 games? No.

Geez. I’m sure some of those 100 minutes per season include situations like when the bench was shortened and Tkachuk was double shifted, so he got to join Bennett and Ryan on the 4th line.

It’s a real stretch to say they tried them together, if you consider trying as something meaningful

Well the person I was responding to said something to the effect "if they even tried him in one game with Tkachuk ..."

So I think my reply passed the smell test.

But I agree otherwise, and said the same above. He was given opportunity and didn't kick the door down, but the team and what? 5 coaches should have provided a longer runway.

His most common lines by year in order of minutes

2017-18
Jankowski-Hathaway
Jankowski-Jagr

2018-19
Tkachuk-Backlund
Neal-Jankowski
Czarnik-Jankowski

2019-20
complete blender

Seems like the 2018-19 season was the year he was given that chance ... and he played well, but just couldn't/didn't produce.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by dino7c

Just a reminder that in Kadri's terrible, horrible, worst player of all time first season in Calgary he had more points than Bennet's career high

Bennett the #1 franchise center? No fricking way.

Seriously though, even in Bennett's dream playoff run, where he was getting many points by just feeding the puck to more skilled players he only averaged a 60 point pace.

Kadri is superior to Bennett in every way.

[Traditional_Ale]

Originally Posted by blankall

Kadri is superior to Bennett in every way.

Age, cap hit, and character.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by Traditional_Ale

Age, cap hit, and character.

Age you have. However, 27 year old, Sam Bennett will be demanding a raise soon.

[Traditional_Ale]

Originally Posted by blankall

Age you have. However, 27 year old, Sam Bennett will be demanding a raise soon.

Sure, but this thread is about what could of been. And even for one year of cap hit for old man Kadri (who has a reputation of bad character) it could of been Bennett +, which I take 11 times out of 10.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by blankall

Age you have. However, 27 year old, Sam Bennett will be demanding a raise soon.

He is, and shall always remain, 18 years old.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Tkachuk was his third most common linemate in the three years 2017-2020 at 314 minutes

Only Backlund, Ryan and Hathaway higher.

math is hard

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Traditional_Ale

and character.

What exactly does this mean?


Sent from my SM-G986W using Tapatalk

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

What exactly does this mean?


Sent from my SM-G986W using Tapatalk

I didn’t write it but assume it refers to effectively quitting on the team, the in game GAF

Did you not see him give up down the stretch?

He single-handedly lost games with egregious turnovers and not bothering to pursue the puck

It was there for all to see