Sam Bennett Value: Have the Flames held on TOO long? OR is he awesome?

[Toonage]

I think he means they should have sent him back prior to the 2015-2016 season.

He missed the whole year with the shoulder surgery, but then played with the fire we've come accustomed to in the playoffs so he stayed up the next season. That was the mistake.

[burn_this_city]

Never understood why he always looked night and day different in the playoffs vs the regular season.

[Toonage]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

Never understood why he always looked night and day different in the playoffs vs the regular season.

Someone suggested fewer penalties called and I think thats totally it. He can get away with more.

[burn_this_city]

Originally Posted by Toonage

Someone suggested fewer penalties and I think thats totally it. He can get way with more.

Offensively though, he is far more effective in the playoffs when arguably it should be more difficult to score. He's a 45 point pace player in the playoffs.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by Harry Lime

Bennett reminds me a lot of Claude Lemieux. A polarizing player who takes penalties but plays hard. Once the playoffs begin, able to elevate his game to incredible levels.

Maybe if the team would get to the playoffs more often, and the rest of the team would play at a minimum average level during them, we can see Bennett shine for an extended period and people would love him.

As it is, I would ship him to a contender so that he could win a couple of Cups with a less bipolar team.

The claude lemieux who finished 3rd on his team in points in his second year in the league?

Career high 41 goal Claude Lemieux?

[Toonage]

I still think its the same thing. His game is in front of the net then. I'd need to see a chart of his playoff goals but I assume most would right in the paint.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by Toonage

I still think its the same thing. His game is in front of the net then. I'd need to see a chart of his playoff goals but I assume most would right in the paint.

https://youtu.be/uJq9j2tX4uQ?t=707

no chart, but there's the video.

[nik-]

What a depressing outcome with our highest ever pick.

[burn_this_city]

Originally Posted by nik-

What a depressing outcome with our highest ever pick.

When you consider Leon going just before and the exact opposite outcome.

[Joborule]

Originally Posted by Rando

Personally I don't think GG helped his game but Sam's problem is his brain. Just can't think the game at the NHL level.

So what's the difference between his rookie year, where he looked incredibly promising, to now?

I still feel that he should get some extended top 6 time to play with linemates who can actually do something, just to see if it's time to finally give up on him. I feel that Bennett in the playoffs, and the amount of scoring chances he does get, but doesn't finish on, does show there's potential still. But if he's going to be an effective top 6 player, he's gotta be able to create and finish on his own. Otherwise he'll just be another miscast, and dragging his linemates down.

[pepper24]

Originally Posted by nik-

What a depressing outcome with our highest ever pick.

I think having our other high picks Monahan and Tkachuk being legit softens the blow of Bennett. As Meatloaf once said, "2 out of 3 ain't bad."

I just wish the team realized this a few seasons ago and traded him. The writing was on the wall and we're seeing the same player still.

[Blaster86]

Originally Posted by Joborule

So what's the difference between his rookie year, where he looked incredibly promising, to now?

Teams adapting to him and his tendencies, if I had to guess.

[Matata]

He must be one of the easiest players to defend against in the league, his game is so predictable.

[VilleN]

Keep him around as 3-4 liner and let him perform in the playoffs as he routinely does. That's the real season anyways.

[FlamesAddiction]

He’s a mediocre 3rd liner but an above average 4th liner. Lousy top 5 pick but he has a place as long as you don’t over pay him.

[Kovaz]

I think the Bennett vs. Draisaitl comparison really illustrates how important opportunity is when developing a player. You need a young player to feel some offensive success so they can develop a feel for what works at the NHL level. And they need to have room to make mistakes, learn what doesn't work, and the get back out there and try again until they (hopefully) figure it out.

Bennett spent the better part of two years watching every decent play he made die on Troy Brouwer's stick. Is it any wonder he turned into a player that doesn't know how to use his linemates? I distinctly recall being impressed with his ability to win a puck in his own zone and start a breakout when he was first playing C, but it so rarely turned into offence. I think he got stuck in a horrible feedback loop where he couldn't produce, started trying to do too much and put too much pressure on himself. And meanwhile we had two other better lines so making mistakes meant his ice time got cut. Not a recipe for success.

Meanwhile, Draisaitl got 20 minutes a night, tons of open looks created by McDavid, and no matter how badly he played on a given night he's still getting double-shifted in the 3rd because they don't have a plan B. You could hardly create a better situation to develop a player.

You can argue all you want about a difference in talent between the players, but if you could go back in time and give 20yo Draisaitl 12 minutes a night between Versteeg and Brouwer and give 20yo Bennett 20 minutes a night on McDavid's wing, we're talking about very, very different players today.

Of all the things Gulutzan did wrong, Sam Bennett's misdevelopment has to rank at the very top.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Bennett was successful with Backlund and Frolik, because they are good players. Backlund can carry the puck and shows flashes of shiftiness, Frolik is quick smart and reliable, and Bennett wasn’t trying to carry the puck with them as much. Lucic is a decent comparable, when he was effective with a guy like Krejci in the middle.

As much as Gulutzan stifled his development, Billy’s blender isn’t helping either. I mean that 6 minutes he got with Gaudreau and Monahan was not quite enough to really see what could be if he settled in

[Manhattanboy]

I think its time to move on from Bennett. He's not developing here and its frustrating for him and the team.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Tough call. I am sure he likes his teammates, but if a 6 minute look is all I get from the coach, I might consider asking for a change of scene.

Gulutzan’s development failure cost the guy millions of dollars and he isn’t being given a path upward here

[Hot_Flatus]

Originally Posted by Kovaz

I think the Bennett vs. Draisaitl comparison really illustrates how important opportunity is when developing a player. You need a young player to feel some offensive success so they can develop a feel for what works at the NHL level. And they need to have room to make mistakes, learn what doesn't work, and the get back out there and try again until they (hopefully) figure it out.

Bennett spent the better part of two years watching every decent play he made die on Troy Brouwer's stick. Is it any wonder he turned into a player that doesn't know how to use his linemates? I distinctly recall being impressed with his ability to win a puck in his own zone and start a breakout when he was first playing C, but it so rarely turned into offence. I think he got stuck in a horrible feedback loop where he couldn't produce, started trying to do too much and put too much pressure on himself. And meanwhile we had two other better lines so making mistakes meant his ice time got cut. Not a recipe for success.

Meanwhile, Draisaitl got 20 minutes a night, tons of open looks created by McDavid, and no matter how badly he played on a given night he's still getting double-shifted in the 3rd because they don't have a plan B. You could hardly create a better situation to develop a player.

You can argue all you want about a difference in talent between the players, but if you could go back in time and give 20yo Draisaitl 12 minutes a night between Versteeg and Brouwer and give 20yo Bennett 20 minutes a night on McDavid's wing, we're talking about very, very different players today.

Of all the things Gulutzan did wrong, Sam Bennett's misdevelopment has to rank at the very top.

Pro players that have been playing at an extremely high level of minor hockey/major junior for 10-12 years just lose everything from identity to baseline puck skills because they were forced to play with grinders for a season? That is such a convenient excuse for a player that came into the league as blue chip as they come.

Sam Bennett is directly responsible for Sam Bennett's development, or lack thereof. The excuses for this guy need to stop. Even if he's not given a golden ticket like Draisatl, he did nothing to prove he should be promoted up the lineup as guys like Monahan, Tkachuk and now Mangiapane have done with the same coaching staffs. Not even close.

You can live with the lack of production if he's giving the team hard nosed, intelligent, third-line minutes. What this has become this year is just a complete disaster where he's taking twice the amount of needless minor penalties compared to points he's able to muster. What happened to the guy that was doing so many thing right last year? Or is this 2nd or 3rd regression this season all on the Peter's coaching staff as well?