The Legend of Sam Bennett

[T-Dog]

It will be interesting to see the impact of Huberdeau’s departure on Bennett’s game and numbers. Any predictions?

[Johnny Makarov]

Originally Posted by T-Dog

It will be interesting to see the impact of Huberdeau’s departure on Bennett’s game and numbers. Any predictions?

prob 20 goals 40 points but 22 offensive zone penalties.

[Lanny_McDonald]

Originally Posted by T-Dog

It will be interesting to see the impact of Huberdeau’s departure on Bennett’s game and numbers. Any predictions?

Depends on the breakdown of line mates and assignments. Tkachuk is likely to lineup with Barkov, so Bennett won't have the play driver on his wing that he had last season. Lundell is likely to take a step forward and assume the second line center role, which will push Bennett down the lineup and have lesser line mates. With PP time I'd call 15-20 goals and 35-40 points. He get's bumped from the PP and he's going to see a drop off from that, probably by 15-20% in goals and points based on that projection. PP will drive his scoring this season.

[Flamesfan05]

Bennett is the loser of the trade

Lindholm won big

[McG]

Didn’t think that I would see this thread again. Welcome back old friend!

[Sandman]

Bennett's numbers will go down next year, and so will Chucky's without Johnny. Tkachuk knew this, and knew he would take a beating with lesser numbers in Calgary. I could see this happening even if he plays with Barkov.

[boogerz]

In the second half of the season when Bennett started alternating the 2C/3C spot with Lundell and was thrown into the linemate blender, his ppg dropped from .79 to .62.

...but 50 points per 80 games is still good and worth his $4.4M salary.

He's not going to suffer much without Huberdeau. The Panthers forward group is still stupidly deep

[Newton]

I don't even think it sour grapes to predict that both Matthew and Johnny will take steps back from "Career year OMG levels" - that would have happened anyways.

Tkachuk and Sam Bennett are going to see less production next season. Tkachuk does a lot more than just score, and I think he will be at his pesty best, he is a good player... but post signing a major contract most players revert closer to career average.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by boogerz

In the second half of the season when Bennett started alternating the 2C/3C spot with Lundell and was thrown into the linemate blender, his ppg dropped from .79 to .62.

...but 50 points per 80 games is still good and worth his $4.4M salary.

He's not going to suffer much without Huberdeau. The Panthers forward group is still stupidly deep

Losing the guy who had 85 assists last year will obviously have a negative impact. Even in the linemate blender you refer to he had Huberdeau a fair bit of the time. Over the season he had him over 85% of the time. And it’s reflected in 85% his production being with Huberdeau.

https://frozenpool.dobbersports.com/players/sam-bennett

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Yeah, I'm a Bennett supporter, but even I can admit he will probably have to play really well to repeat what he did last year. Still, a pretty important and effective player for the Panthers, but isn't a star. I think Lundell will eventually take his 2nd line position, but it may not happen this year. Bennett is still a lot more experienced than Lundell.

I think this is how the lineup shakes out to start the year, barring any more major moves:

Tkachuk-Barkov-Duclair
Verhaeghe-Bennett-Reinhart
Cousins-Lundell-White
Lomberg-Luotsarinen-Hornqvist
extra: Balcers

Forsling-Ekblad
Montour-Gudas
Staal/Del Zotto-Carlson/Sjalin

Bobrovsky/Knight

That defense needs work. Trading Weegar still makes no sense to me looking at those other offers. They could have got the deal done with Huberdeau and the futures alone.

[madmike]

Bennett's numbers tailed off last year as the season wore on. I'm not sure if it was because of deployment, or his numbers reverting to their average, but by the end of the year he wasn't producing many points.

[Lanny_McDonald]

Not quite as formidable as last year's squad. It will be interesting to see what Tkachuk does next to Barkov. Still think Lundell moves to second line. Better skillset for those players IMO.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan

Yeah, I'm a Bennett supporter, but even I can admit he will probably have to play really well to repeat what he did last year. Still, a pretty important and effective player for the Panthers, but isn't a star. I think Lundell will eventually take his 2nd line position, but it may not happen this year. Bennett is still a lot more experienced than Lundell.

I think this is how the lineup shakes out to start the year, barring any more major moves:

Tkachuk-Barkov-Duclair
Verhaeghe-Bennett-Reinhart
Cousins-Lundell-White
Lomberg-Luotsarinen-Hornqvist
extra: Balcers

Forsling-Ekblad
Montour-Gudas
Staal/Del Zotto-Carlson/Sjalin

Bobrovsky/Knight

That defense needs work. Trading Weegar still makes no sense to me looking at those other offers. They could have got the deal done with Huberdeau and the futures alone.

Well, they are already over the cap, and Weegar needs a contract. They’d have had to move someone else making whatever he was going to get.

[InternationalVillager]

Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan

Yeah, I'm a Bennett supporter, but even I can admit he will probably have to play really well to repeat what he did last year. Still, a pretty important and effective player for the Panthers, but isn't a star. I think Lundell will eventually take his 2nd line position, but it may not happen this year. Bennett is still a lot more experienced than Lundell.

I think this is how the lineup shakes out to start the year, barring any more major moves:

Tkachuk-Barkov-Duclair
Verhaeghe-Bennett-Reinhart
Cousins-Lundell-White
Lomberg-Luotsarinen-Hornqvist
extra: Balcers

Forsling-Ekblad
Montour-Gudas
Staal/Del Zotto-Carlson/Sjalin

Bobrovsky/Knight

That defense needs work. Trading Weegar still makes no sense to me looking at those other offers. They could have got the deal done with Huberdeau and the futures alone.

Duke is out with Achilles injury.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by InternationalVillager

Duke is out with Achilles injury.

Huh, don't know how I missed that. Thanks.

Still will be back at some point in the season, but probably won't quite be himself right away. That's a bummer. I think he'd be great on the other side of Tkachuk with all that speed.

Oh well, still provides some cap relief for the first part of the year.

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Well, they are already over the cap, and Weegar needs a contract. They’d have had to move someone else making whatever he was going to get.

But that's a season after this problem. This year:

Huby+Weegar = 9.15M
Tkachuk+league min = 10.25M

I get FLA was looking for a bigger shakeup, but it's still a little perplexing from a cap efficiency standpoint.

[bax]

Maybe I just don’t know these players that well, but doesn’t that Florida D look really suspect?

Like aren’t Montour, Forsling, and Gudas more 4-6 type guys?

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by bax

Maybe I just don’t know these players that well, but doesn’t that Florida D look really suspect?

Like aren’t Montour, Forsling, and Gudas more 4-6 type guys?

Yes, although Forsling is looking like he could at least handle top pair duties for a while.

Montour and Gudas could be a low end 2nd pair, but you want at least one of them paired with a legitimate top 4 guy and the other playing on the 3rd pair.

They're short at least two top 4 defensemen as far as I can see. No great prospects on the horizon either as most of their better prospects are forwards.

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by bax

Maybe I just don’t know these players that well, but doesn’t that Florida D look really suspect?

Like aren’t Montour, Forsling, and Gudas more 4-6 type guys?

IMO Forsling is a bonafide 2, Montour is a 3-4, Gudas is a 4-6


But Montour and Gudas play the same side so that could be tough.

Forsling - Ekblad
?? - Montour
?? - Gudas

In my eyes makes the most sense. They need someone who can play opposite Montour woth chemistry

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by powderjunkie

But that's a season after this problem. This year:

Huby+Weegar = 9.15M
Tkachuk+league min = 10.25M

I get FLA was looking for a bigger shakeup, but it's still a little perplexing from a cap efficiency standpoint.

No it’s a problem now. Right now, Fla is over the cap. Add Weegar in and they are several million over.