Sutter says he was disappointed when Sam was traded.
Interesting video, thanks for sharing. A bit of a surprise to me that Sutter and Treliving are on good terms considering how highly he spoke of him in the interview. I had always assumed there was a falling out between the 2 with Sutter's passive aggressive and not so not obvious jabs at the roster that Tre had built, publicly in interviews whenever there was an opportunity. And then I remember reading on here that Tre leaving was basically because it was clear that leadership had chosen Sutter over him.
And speaking of making things up, the year he got traded, Bennett's most minutes were with Monahan and Gaudreau. Almost twice as much as with Lucic and Dube or Backlund and Leivo. https://frozenpool.dobbersports.com/players/sam-bennett.
100 minutes with Monahan and Gaudeau; 167 minutes with two of Milan Lucic, Dilion Dube, Josh Leivo, Derek Ryan, and Joakim Nordstrom. Would like to see most common linemate than trio to see his true to linemates.
100 minutes with Monahan and Gaudreau in 38 games with the Flames, 63 minutes with Huberdeau and Duclair in 10 games in Florida
__________________ MMF is the tough as nails cop that "plays by his own rules". The force keeps suspending him when he crosses the line but he keeps coming back and then cracks a big case.
-JiriHrdina
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Good god, man. That is a technically correct but pretty disingenuous statement
It's almost as disengenuous as his post that Darryl Sutter Alsop healthy scratched Sam Bennett. Once you put some context around both claims you both become flimsy and actually work against his case.
__________________ MMF is the tough as nails cop that "plays by his own rules". The force keeps suspending him when he crosses the line but he keeps coming back and then cracks a big case.
-JiriHrdina
It's almost as disengenuous as his post that Darryl Sutter Alsop healthy scratched Sam Bennett. Once you put some context around both claims you both become flimsy and actually work against his case.
Is it as disingenuous as claiming the Flames never played Bennett in the top six after his first year? At least what I said was true.
Is it as disingenuous as claiming the Flames never played Bennett in the top six after his first year? At least what I said was true.
lol you are exhausting. Nobody said “never”. Playing about 20 percent of the time with Johnny and Monahan, as a wing and not in his natural position, and being in the blender otherwise - this is not putting a guy in a position to succeed and it’s pretty much stupid to claim it is
Last edited by DeluxeMoustache; 06-13-2025 at 09:39 AM.
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lol you are exhausting. Nobody said “never”. Playing about 20 percent of the time with Johnny and Monahan, as a wing and not in his natural position, and being in the blender otherwise - this is not putting a guy in a position to succeed and it’s pretty much stupid to claim it is
Who said he was "put in a position to succeed"?
You said he was planted in the bottom six. He spent more time in the top six than the bottom under Ward. When I showed that, you bnrought out "but the blender". Yes, the blender was bad. But there were a lot of guys who just plain were playing better. And the problem with playing him at centre was that you had Monahan, Lindholm and Backlund. Should they have tried to shoehorn him an demote Backlund to 4th line at that point?
I acknowledge that the Flames bear the bulk of responsibility. You won't even allow for a fraction of the onus to be on the player.
100 minutes with Monahan and Gaudeau; 167 minutes with two of Milan Lucic, Dilion Dube, Josh Leivo, Derek Ryan, and Joakim Nordstrom. Would like to see most common linemate than trio to see his true to linemates.
100 minutes with Monahan and Gaudreau in 38 games with the Flames, 63 minutes with Huberdeau and Duclair in 10 games in Florida
You conveniently left out his time with Backlund's line - 87 more minutes of top six. Which means he spent more time in top six than bottom six in his last 2/3 of a season here.
You said he was planted in the bottom six. He spent more time in the top six than the bottom under Ward. When I showed that, you bnrought out "but the blender". Yes, the blender was bad. But there were a lot of guys who just plain were playing better. And the problem with playing him at centre was that you had Monahan, Lindholm and Backlund. Should they have tried to shoehorn him an demote Backlund to 4th line at that point?
I acknowledge that the Flames bear the bulk of responsibility. You won't even allow for a fraction of the onus to be on the player.
It's no secret Sam Bennett didn't have any confidence playing for the Calgary Flames and that's what's being discussed. Maybe Sam Bennett bears some responsibility but at the end of the day he's playing better for someone else. So you have to look at the Flames and say what could they have done better, what was their part in it? I think under Craig Conroy the Flames are addressing it. MacKenzie Weegar was spending time with Zayne Parekh and even talked about his skills afterwards. They are making sure that the young guys are transitioning better into the NHL. They are talking about how everybody believes in each other and supports each other. Maybe Sam Bennett didn't get enough of that when he was here, maybe the line blenders didn't help, maybe he just didn't have any confidence playing here because it seemed like the Flames didn't have any confidence. I just don't believe the Flames knew what they had in Sam Bennett or how to manage him properly. This is just my opinion, and I acknowledge Sam Bennett had some responsibility; But that does nothing for the Calgary Flames because Sam Bennett plays better somewhere else. It's up to the Calgary Flames to self evaluate and improve the situation because, I am sure you agree, they're not going to find those young elite players growing on trees.
My position on this is a little bit different than yours, I acknowledge the Sam Bennett has to take some responsibility, but we can't absolve the Calgary Flames because they're the ones that have to improve. We lost a good player, who didn't have any confidence playing for the Calgary Flames.
Last edited by DazzlinDino; 06-13-2025 at 10:21 AM.
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Regardless of what happened or why it worked out the way it did, Bennett has lived up to his draft pedigree. With people in another thread suggesting guys like Backstrom and Point during his first cup run qualify as elite players, I think Bennett certainly meets the same threshold, albeit playing a very different game.
Yes, I agree DD. I think it was mainly on the Flames to figure something out. But of course it’s all a moving target and the makeup of the Panthers lineup worked a lot better for that too. He fit the second line slot nicely because of Barkov’s two way play from the top line. That was a problem here.
Flames screwed up by investing a 4th overall pick into Bennett, but not investing more into his development.
Hartley knew how to develop a center - he slotted Monahan into the 3rd line and coached him. Then Monahan also got a bit lucky with both Stajan and Backlund getting hurt with longer-term injuries, propelling Monahan into consistent heavy minutes.
The plan with Bennett was pretty good. Bennett needed a longer rope than Monahan, as I remember him sitting with Conroy in the stands, and Conroy would ask him where he should go on the ice for this play or that play, and Bennett was often lost. I think Hartley started him off exceptionally well stapling him to Backlund for his first season. Then Hartley gets canned, and that was the end of Bennett's development.
Ignoring Hartley's other warts and short shelf life, I wish he stayed. I feel the next two seasons would have seen the following:
Bennett's 2nd year: Moves down off of Backlund's wing and centers the third line. Sheltered minutes, but consistent reps at center and consistent coaching and feedback. Tkachuk has his rookie year alongside Backlund which was great for his development.
Bennett's 3rd year: Tkachuk - Bennett become stapled together on the 3rd line. Backlund and Frolik continue on the 2nd line as the shut-down line, allowing Tkachuk and Bennett to continue be sheltered.
That's a top line and two second lines, with one being elite defensively, and one having a lot of jam.
Instead, down the line Derek Ryan and Mark Jankowski get the bulk of the minutes down the middle on the third line, and Bennett - an asset that Calgary invested a 4th overall pick into - bounced around the rest of his time here in Calgary before finding a team that were willing to invest consistent ice time and teammates with down the middle.
Not all prospects develop the same, and not all positions are as easily developed. You can't point at Gaudreau (older and winger), Mangiapane (winger), Dube (winger), Coronato (winger) and say: "See, they did it. Why couldn't Bennett?". Center is a tough position to play. Bennett didn't get the coaching AND the reps that he needed.
He wasn't developed as a center here, and the coaching staff didn't want to put up with any growing pains. Florida's win, Calgary's loss.
What worries me is that I feel Zary should be getting more minutes at center now. Maybe he isn't a center, but at the same time, I hope that this organization is more wiling to live with the growing pains of developing a center right now. I hope that Zary gets a full season at center.
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Yes, I agree DD. I think it was mainly on the Flames to figure something out. But of course it’s all a moving target and the makeup of the Panthers lineup worked a lot better for that too. He fit the second line slot nicely because of Barkov’s two way play from the top line. That was a problem here.
I agree,. I think we are on track getting it figured out.
What? Bennett was easily part of the 1st tier of 4 players - many thought he should be #1, almost all had him top 3 (with Draisaitl 4th).
Then there was a huge drop-off to the next tier (which correctly played out, as the next tier of dal Colle and Virtanen were duds)
Bennett didn't become what the Flames hoped, but they hardly 'screwed up' by using the 4th on him. The screw up came with development.
Sorry, that's not what I meant.. I mean to say that they invested the 4th overall pick into Bennett, but weren't willing to invest ice-time and growing pains along with it. He most certainly was worth the 4th overall pick that year.
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Sorry, that's not what I meant.. I mean to say that they invested the 4th overall pick into Bennett, but weren't willing to invest ice-time and growing pains along with it. He most certainly was worth the 4th overall pick that year.
Ok, agreed. The pick was fine/correct, the problem was how they handled him and how they developed them.
IMO, Bennett was one of the organizations biggest failures on the developmental side. Every team has wins and losses of course, and he is one that hurts.
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That's a top line and two second lines, with one being elite defensively, and one having a lot of jam.
Instead, down the line Derek Ryan and Mark Jankowski get the bulk of the minutes down the middle on the third line, and Bennett - an asset that Calgary invested a 4th overall pick into - bounced around the rest of his time here in Calgary before finding a team that were willing to invest consistent ice time and teammates with down the middle.
Not all prospects develop the same, and not all positions are as easily developed. You can't point at Gaudreau (older and winger), Mangiapane (winger), Dube (winger), Coronato (winger) and say: "See, they did it. Why couldn't Bennett?". Center is a tough position to play. Bennett didn't get the coaching AND the reps that he needed.
He wasn't developed as a center here, and the coaching staff didn't want to put up with any growing pains. Florida's win, Calgary's loss.
What worries me is that I feel Zary should be getting more minutes at center now. Maybe he isn't a center, but at the same time, I hope that this organization is more wiling to live with the growing pains of developing a center right now. I hope that Zary gets a full season at center.
This all seems right, though the issue is - no matter what you called Backlund, he was gonna get second line minutes just by virtue of line matching. So de facto Bennett (assuming he's at centre) is getting third line minutes. Then Lindholm comes along and messes it up more.
I guess the problem was that the top line just could hang defensively with other top lines so Backlund probably got more than the minutes he merited offesnively.
