[News] With the 4th overall pick the Flames select C Sam Bennett

[Day Tripper]

Sam Bennett's top 3 in the OHL Coaches Poll:

Smartest Player - 1st in Eastern Conference
Best Playmaker - 1st in Eastern Conference
Best Stickhandler - 1st in Eastern Conference
Best Defensive Forward - 3rd in Eastern Conference

And here were Monahan's top 3 results last year:

Smartest Player - 2nd in Eastern Conference
Best Playmaker - 2nd in Eastern Conference
Best Stickhandler - 3rd in Eastern Conference
Best Faceoffs - 3rd in Eastern Conference

It's nice to have not one, but a couple intelligent 2-way centers in the system with top 6 upside.

[keenan87]

How is Bennett on Faceoffs?

[Flames Fan in Exile]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

God but this pic reminds me of nieuwendyk when he was drafted... Same facial structure... Or I'm just getting old and eyes are failing....

[sureLoss]

Originally Posted by keenan87

How is Bennett on Faceoffs?

apparently it is one aspect of the game he needs to work on

https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/bu...174431542.html

"Faceoffs is [also] definitely a big thing that I've been working on in practice. I haven’t been winning as many draws as I’d like to. That’s an important part of the game, starting with the puck."

[SeeGeeWhy]

Originally Posted by the_only_turek_fan

I honestly think this is starting to look like a championship team.

This is a sweet stroke of luck, and is a great pick with lots of potential and excitement for the fans (myself included) - but let's not go full coiler here and start talking about cups a year after we circled the bowl hard. We still have no clear #1 in goal and our 1/2 D pairing is still congealing ... Beyond that we are pretty thin. Which, btw is why I really like the strong two way element that most of our active and prospective forwards possess. Seems like Hartley coaches a game that is consistent with what the management views as a successful blueprint because they're feeding players that fit right into the system.

I hope that what everyone is talking about Sam intentionally throwing the pull up test at the combine being his own idea to shake the oiler's interest is true... That shows UNBELIEVABLE cunning and balls for anyone let alone an 18 year old kid. SUPER impressive if true, love that kind of mind.

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Stephen Whyno @SWhyno
Treliving: "We've been around the rink a long time and we've yet to run into a pull-up bar on the ice rink."

I've thought about this a bit, and I would argue that the body mechanics in a slap shot, wrist shot, lateral stick handling, face offs, and an "arms forward" body check all heavily recruit the lats, traps, biceps, forearms and transverse abdominal - the major groups which are involved in a pull up. The movement is a very important indicator of functional strength in my opinion (better than strict bench press), as it takes a lot of work and mental dedication to develop the skill. I still wishfully hope that this entire episode was concocted as a ruse to throw other teams off the trail.

Originally Posted by Ashasx

Graham DeLaet ‏@GrahamDeLaet
@SBennett93 lets do this kid!

This is cool, and DeLaet is a beauty, but shouldn't golf pros be tweeting coiler prospects?

Originally Posted by The Fonz

God damn I'm excited about our forward depth. Incredible.

We've come a long way from Chucko and Nemisz.

Ugh! Ack! Puuuuuukkkkkkeeeeeee. No one liked the taste of those words coming out of the mouth when it happened. Unfortunately it all came true and they added nothing to our nhl team. Why would we spend 1st round picks improving our AHL team? That, I'll never understand.

[Rick M.]

Originally Posted by getbak

The pullup thing was all a ruse so the Oilers wouldn't take him. There's a scrum with MacTavish on the Oilers site and he talks about picking Draisaitl because he's stronger today than the other players they were considering.

Smart thinking, Sam.

Burke was holding his feet so a complete pull up was an impossibility!

[Hells Bells]

Originally Posted by Flames Fan in Exile

God but this pic reminds me of nieuwendyk when he was drafted... Same facial structure... Or I'm just getting old and eyes are failing....

For me, it's from the nose up. Including his hair.

If you cover the mouth they're pretty much identical IMO.

[Gaskal]

Originally Posted by saillias

I think this is the guy you play with Gaudreau. With Poirier or Ferland on RW. If anyone touches JG it's going to be a rough night for them.

Neither Bennett and Poirier are technically 'enforcers' in the mold of McGrattan, but the beautiful part is that they can and will take offense & deliver some nasty crosschecks to your face or even drop the gloves - and if any real enforcer goes after them then they just look like an a-hole and next shift out gets beat up by ticked off Big Ern.

[saXon]

Originally Posted by Gaskal

Neither Bennett and Poirier are technically 'enforcers' in the mold of McGrattan, but the beautiful part is that they can and will take offense & deliver some nasty crosschecks to your face or even drop the gloves - and if any real enforcer goes after them then they just look like an a-hole and next shift out gets beat up by ticked off Big Ern.

I think what makes McGrattan one of the best enforcers, is the fact that he doesn't get ticked off.

[Mattman]

Backlund
Bouma
Brodie
Byron
Baertschi
Butler (Take it while I can)
Breen
Bennet
Bolig

Brian Burke and Brad (Boston Pizza Barons son) with their B fetish

[Vinny01]

I like everyone am thrilled with this pick. So happy the flames had 2 Canadian stud centres slide to them the past 2 drafts. Way rather move forward with Monahan and Bennett than Lindholm and Drasaitl.

High character, high skill, speed, edge Bennett has the makings of a franchise player. Easily could be the best player in this draft

[Rick M.]

Originally Posted by Mattman

Backlund
Bouma
Brodie
Byron
Baertschi
Butler (Take it while I can)
Breen
Bennet
Bolig

Brian Burke and Brad (Boston Pizza Barons son) with their B fetish

Bennett will join a swarm of Bs.

[TheDebaser]

Bennett is the Killer Bee

[Antithesis]

I'm sure it's been said elsewhere in the thread, but it's really exciting that Bennett was able to put up the numbers he did while being 9 months younger than the rest of the top players in the draft. That's impressive.

[_Q_]

Both are around 6'2", Nieuwendyk was around 195lbs when he played, which is probably where Bennett gets to in his prime. I think Sam is Joe's clone

[Rick M.]

Originally Posted by _Q_

Both are around 6'2", Nieuwendyk was around 195lbs when he played, which is probably where Bennett gets to in his prime. I think Sam is Joe's clone

Bennett has much better foot speed than Joe ever did.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Gaskal

Neither Bennett and Poirier are technically 'enforcers' in the mold of McGrattan, but the beautiful part is that they can and will take offense & deliver some nasty crosschecks to your face or even drop the gloves - and if any real enforcer goes after them then they just look like an a-hole and next shift out gets beat up by ticked off Big Ern.

Bennett and Poirier would make perfect linemates IMO. They're not enforcers or 3rd line grinders so they don't need to be huge.

What they are is determined, talented, fast, and nasty.

And that makes them perfect to play against other teams' top lines. It's like Marchant embarrassing the Sedins. These guys have the ability, as well as the demeaner, to not only annoy other top players, but then also out-play them.

They could be 2/3s of an absolutely awesome top-vs-top line.

Then you come back with Monahan and Gaudreau!

[Locke]

Originally Posted by getbak

The pullup thing was all a ruse so the Oilers wouldn't take him. There's a scrum with MacTavish on the Oilers site and he talks about picking Draisaitl because he's stronger today than the other players they were considering.

Smart thinking, Sam.

NHL Etiquette. Super Simple Stuff.

[Iggy Snipe]

I am excited. I was going to be happy with either of the Sams. I think Bennet has the potential to be better than Monahan in his rookie season. I think he is NHL ready. Such a smart hockey player. Hopefully he steals a spot.

[Split98]

I wanted a shirt to celebrate the occasion, so here it is!



http://nurturedpixel.spreadshirt.com...mize/color/228