Sam Bennett as a center or winger?

[ForeverFlameFan]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

Bennett will break out eventually, I still have high hopes for him, just not so much as a C now.

Yes, Bennett will soon break out and score a point.

[Table 5]

I think for teams in this league to be legit Cup contenders, forwards drafted this high need to hit their potential, and they need to do it while young and cheap. Unless you are perennially drafting high, this is not a league anymore where you can wait 6-7 years for a top 5 draft pick to turn into a Michael Backlund. You can justify that with a guy drafted later, but not with a Top 5.

By now the Flames needed Bennett to be well on his way to being one of the top 2-3 players on this team. Unfortunately, there's just not much sign of that ever happening, and its now about lowering expectations...or trading him for someone else's enigma. Either way, at the moment it's looking like a draft miss that could potentially be the difference between winning a Cup and wallowing in the middle.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Table 5

I think for teams in this league to be legit Cup contenders, forwards drafted this high need to hit their potential, and they need to do it while young and cheap. Unless you are perennially drafting high, this is not a league anymore where you can wait 6-7 years for a top 5 draft pick to turn into a Michael Backlund. You can justify that with a guy drafted later, but not with a Top 5.

By now the Flames needed Bennett to be well on his way to being one of the top 2-3 players on this team. Unfortunately, there's just not much sign of that ever happening, and its now about lowering expectations...or trading him for someone else's enigma. Either way, at the moment it's looking like a draft miss that could potentially be the difference between winning a Cup and wallowing in the middle.

Yes, he hasn't developed as hoped to this point. But how is trading him for someone else's enigma any kind of a solution?

It would have been great if Bennett instantly became a star. He hasn't. But the best thing for the Flames continues to be for him to break out.

Sometimes development takes longer. Throwing in the towel too early on young players is also no way to build a cup contender.

[edslunch]

Originally Posted by Anduril

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/w...d-sam-bennett/

By Berkshire. Doesn't say too much more than what most Flames fans are aware of it still a decent read.

Actually I thought the stats gave some insight i hadn't seen before. Whether it's a cause or symptom of his struggles, he is playing differently this year based on these charts.

[Itse]

Originally Posted by Table 5

I think for teams in this league to be legit Cup contenders, forwards drafted this high need to hit their potential, and they need to do it while young and cheap. Unless you are perennially drafting high, this is not a league anymore where you can wait 6-7 years for a top 5 draft pick to turn into a Michael Backlund. You can justify that with a guy drafted later, but not with a Top 5.

By now the Flames needed Bennett to be well on his way to being one of the top 2-3 players on this team. Unfortunately, there's just not much sign of that ever happening, and its now about lowering expectations...or trading him for someone else's enigma. Either way, at the moment it's looking like a draft miss that could potentially be the difference between winning a Cup and wallowing in the middle.

As long as we keep our 4th round picks we'll be fine

More seriously though, I get where you're coming from, but there's not much anyone can do about the situation except wait and hope Bennett figures it out sooner rather than later.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Anduril

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/w...d-sam-bennett/

By Berkshire. Doesn't say too much more than what most Flames fans are aware of it still a decent read.

Bennett is also tied for the lowest success rate for his offensive-zone plays at just 50 per cent, meaning half of what he’s trying to do with the puck fails.

Okay, so it's not just me. Anyone watching him play can see Bennett is having terrible struggles figuring out how to generate offence at the NHL level.

Just shows how hockey IQ is an essential element in prospects these days. You can't just cross your fingers and hope a guy develops the ability to read plays, use his teammates, and gain time and space for himself.

[browna]

Likely figured it was going to be too easy too soon. 36 points as a rookie, to 26, then a contract holdout, now 0 points.
Change of scenery not long after Christmas if he doesn’t pick it up, and before his confidence and stock declines too far.

[TOfan]

Originally Posted by browna

Likely figured it was going to be too easy too soon. 36 points as a rookie, to 26, then a contract holdout, now 0 points.
Change of scenery not long after Christmas if he doesn’t pick it up, and before his confidence and stock declines too far.

Before his stock declines too far?.....uh, prepare to be disappointed.

Had high hopes from the very start with the player, but it is just not working here. For whatever reason; the coaching, the way the organization handled him, his line mates, Bennett himself, it's becoming more clear everyday and evergame Sam's just not a fit on this team right now. It would be astonishing if he were to even match his rookie point total thus season at this point. There is little to zero signs of life here.

It's probably best for Bennett and the Flames that they move him. Perhaps he can salvage his career elsewhere. For the Flames it is particularly disappointing because they clearly wanted the kid to push Backlund into the 3rd line C role, thus making him expendable and moving forward with monahan, Bennett, and Jankowski down the middle. It would have set em up for years

Best the Flames can do now is move the asset for an equally struggling forward, or a 2nd round pick. A year ago (even a month ago) I would have laughted at such a trade proposition, and in fact I did when a friend mentioned it. but again it is not working here for Bennett. They're almost certainly going to be dealing from a point of weakness. Then again, from what I've seen so far, I'm not convinced Bennett can be an impact player at this level. He doesn't seem to have the hockey IQ to be a true top 6 forward in this league. As much as Flames fans like to point out the short comings of the Oilers organization, they're not idiots & there's a reason they took Draisatl. The Oilers did not miss that time.

Some other team will get to decide where to play him.

[Moneyhands23]

Originally Posted by TOfan

Before his stock declines too far?.....uh, prepare to be disappointed.

Had high hopes from the very start with the player, but it is just not working here. For whatever reason; the coaching, the way the organization handled him, his line mates, Bennett himself, it's becoming more clear everyday and evergame Sam's just not a fit on this team right now. It would be astonishing if he were to even match his rookie point total thus season at this point. There is little to zero signs of life here.

It's probably best for Bennett and the Flames that they move him. Perhaps he can salvage his career elsewhere. For the Flames it is particularly disappointing because they clearly wanted the kid to push Backlund into the 3rd line C role, thus making him expendable and moving forward with monahan, Bennett, and Jankowski down the middle. It would have set em up for years

Best GG Flames can do now is move the asset for an equally struggling forward, or a 2nd round pick. A year ago (even a month ago) I would have laughted still such a trade proposition, but again it is not working here for Bennett.

Some other team will get to decide where to play him.

At that point i just keep him another year.

[TOfan]

Originally Posted by browna

Likely figured it was going to be too easy too soon. 36 points as a rookie, to 26, then a contract holdout, now 0 points.
Change of scenery not long after Christmas if he doesn’t pick it up, and before his confidence and stock declines too far.

Just to correct something here, there was no contract holdout. Bennett missed no time. His contract was signed before training camp.

[jayswin]

It's really crazy isn't it? He's just got nothing this year, like not even a glimmer. Not saying he's done, but there isn't much to suggest otherwise this season so far.

[jayswin]

I know the best way to manage a roster and player is to develop him properly and not give him opportunities that he doesn't deserve.

I do wonder in this case however that Brad doesn't have a meeting with Glen and say "look, we're on the verge of getting nothing out of our fourth overall pick, let's just put him up with Johnny and Sean for an extended period and if he's not killing the line, keep it going. Let's see if we can salvage him at all costs".

[jonkaupp]

Originally Posted by jayswin

I know the best way to manage a roster and player is to develop him properly and not give him opportunities that he doesn't deserve.

I do wonder in this case however that Brad doesn't have a meeting with Glen and say "look, we're on the verge of getting nothing out of our fourth overall pick, let's just put him up with Johnny and Sean for an extended period and if he's not killing the line, keep it going. Let's see if we can salvage him at all costs".

No way you move Ferland with the way hes been playing of late. If and likely when he disappears again then maybe but no way right now. Bennett just gonna have to figure it out

[browna]

Originally Posted by TOfan

Just to correct something here, there was no contract holdout. Bennett missed no time. His contract was signed before training camp.

Yes, sorry. I meant holdout that it took until camp to get a relatively low dollar short term contract done that could’ve been done long before that.

I don’t think the Flames were the ones being unreasonable, I believe it was the Bennett side that thought they deserved more all summer and then had to settle for more or less the Flames offer.

[Corral]

Get him some time with Doug Gilmour to give him a pep talk and some encouragement. Or better yet, maybe tell the coaching staff to sit down the Gilmour for some tips on how to manage Bennett. The fact that Gilmour endorsed Bennett so strongly a few years back, makes me stick with Bennett for the long haul.

[TOfan]

Originally Posted by Moneyhands23

At that point i just keep him another year.

Problem with that is, the Flames seem to be a team looking to content sooner than later.

Waiting on Bennett is not a luxury thus team can afford, if they want to hit this window.

If the Flames want to hang with the top teams (and it seems theats what they are trying to do) they need the be three lines deep. We don't have the elite top end talent other contending teams have. The Flames are built similar to Columbus. Deep. If the Flames aren't deep, what are they? Money & Jonny can't hang with McDavid-Draisatl, seguin-Benn, Teows-kane, Mathews-Nylander, Crosby-Malkin, etc etc....they need three lines that can contribute.

Right now, their third line? Zero......ZERO. Literally zero.

They won't be able to compete with that.

[savemedrzaius]

I could understand no goals, but no points in 14 games...How is that possible? Does he get PP time? Roman Polak has a point for God's sake!

[edslunch]

Originally Posted by Karl

4th line is BY FAR the team's biggest concern right now.



All 3 of those forwards are struggling to continue to keep up with the pace of the NHL.

An even bigger problem is that they are the 3rd line by TOI. If Bennett’s line was effective and trusted with 3rd line minutes the liability of the 4th line could be minimized.

[EldrickOnIce]

Originally Posted by edslunch

An even bigger problem is that they are the 3rd line by TOI. If Bennett’s line was effective and trusted with 3rd line minutes the liability of the 4th line could be minimized.

If 'Bennett's' line was effective and trusted they would get 3rd line minutes.

[edslunch]

Originally Posted by EldrickOnIce

If 'Bennett's' line was effective and trusted they would get 3rd line minutes.

Yeah, what he said