Sam Bennett as a center or winger?

[Imported_Aussie]

Bennett can play centre, and should until someone in the system (Jankowski) pushes him to the wing. What does Bennett need to play well at Centre? A LW who cuts inside and can skate puck up centre (as Bennett likes to get left) and a solid 2-way RW. I think he is best suited to playing with a guy like Frolik or Lazar as his RW and for LW Gaudreau fits best. Have to make lines that work together, compliment each other.

Tkachuk - Monahan - Jagr (establish cycle game)
Gaudreau - Bennett - Lazar (offense)
Ferland - Backlund - Frolik (line matching)
Versteeg - Stajan - Brouwer/Glass/Hamilton

[calgaryblood]

So we should get him wingers that play out of position because he does? If he's going to be a center he needs to play as a Center not skate to the left wing.

[squiggs96]

Originally Posted by Tyler

I'm at the point where I've resigned myself to the fact that we gambled on Bennett being a high-impact player at the #4 spot and lost.

I'm also extremely excited that we lucked out and got Tkachuk, so the Bennett bobble doesn't sting as bad.

Bennett was the #1 ranked player heading into the draft by NHL Central Scouting. How is that a gamble? There were 4 highly coveted players, and the Flames drafted fourth. Without trading up they were left with whoever was left. It happened to be Bennett. Short of trading the pick, and not selecting the #1 ranked player, they picked the best player available. That's still not a gamble or bobble.

Had they not picked Bennett, who do they pick? Go through the rest of the players picked. Even with hindsight, Bennett is still likely the best player. You could maybe argue taking Dylan Larkin now, but no way could you have taken him at #4 in 2014.

Also, Bennett is 20. Way too early to panic, especially given Backlund's progression timeline. Not every pick is going to translate immediately to a hugely impactful player in the NHL. Tkachuk is an exception, not the rule.

[Finger Cookin]

Looking beyond this season, we'll see the departure of Jagr and Versteeg on the wings, and Stajan at center. Ferland will have shown whether he deserves a top 6 role or not. There will be room in the top six for Bennett on the wing, and Jankowski should be able to easily slide into a center role, even if Bennett remains at center.

The timeline for these things is not days or weeks, but seasons. Everyone wants to see the change made immediately, but the Flames are not going to rush into this. Treliving has made a reputation of being thorough and patient. There's no reason to think the club won't continue to approach personnel matters in the same fashion as long as Treliving is running things.

[Harry Lime]

At this point, it wouldn't surprise me at all to see Eddie Lack taking an irregular shift on Bennett's wing. Bennett has never been put in a regular position to succeed here. They put him with Gaudreau, there is instant chemistry and success. So let's not do that again.

I would settle for three games solid of regular lines.

Ferland-Bennett-Lazar, and just let them be a wrecking crew for a few games. That doesn't hurt any of the untouchables in the top six.

And centre depth wins Championships, so yes, you want Bennett at centre. The only reason to ever move him, is if Jankowski forces his way into the top 9, and there is no threat of that happening right now.

[Beninho]

Originally Posted by TheFlamesVan

^ he is 21 years old! A couple generational talents have really ruined everyone's patience with player development.

No no, he's not tracking well for a top 5 pick period. He's been passed over probably by 10-15 players in his draft class. Not to say he can't get better but he's not lived up to expectations.Frankly neither him or Sam Reinhart have been very good

[Beninho]

Originally Posted by Imported_Aussie

Bennett can play centre, and should until someone in the system (Jankowski) pushes him to the wing. What does Bennett need to play well at Centre? A LW who cuts inside and can skate puck up centre (as Bennett likes to get left) and a solid 2-way RW. I think he is best suited to playing with a guy like Frolik or Lazar as his RW and for LW Gaudreau fits best. Have to make lines that work together, compliment each other.

Tkachuk - Monahan - Jagr (establish cycle game)
Gaudreau - Bennett - Lazar (offense)
Ferland - Backlund - Frolik (line matching)
Versteeg - Stajan - Brouwer/Glass/Hamilton

Bennett has yet to show he can provide offense consistently. He can't get his shot off in the slot and lacks composure. Also bobbles the puck a lot and sees to overthink simple plays. I want him to succeed as much as everyone but I'm just not seeing it on the ice

[TheIronMaiden]

Blaming Bennetts line mates is silly. Good players make the people they play with better. Bennett has been given lots of opportunity to succeed and he will continue to get those opportunities. No one is black balling him, and I am sure if you asked him he would tell you that he is the only person accountable for his play to date. Honestly, if Bennett did deflect responsibility and blamed his linemates for being pointless after 6 games I wouldn't want him on my team anyways.

[Beninho]

Originally Posted by squiggs96

Bennett was the #1 ranked player heading into the draft by NHL Central Scouting. How is that a gamble? There were 4 highly coveted players, and the Flames drafted fourth. Without trading up they were left with whoever was left. It happened to be Bennett. Short of trading the pick, and not selecting the #1 ranked player, they picked the best player available. That's still not a gamble or bobble.

Had they not picked Bennett, who do they pick? Go through the rest of the players picked. Even with hindsight, Bennett is still likely the best player. You could maybe argue taking Dylan Larkin now, but no way could you have taken him at #4 in 2014.

Also, Bennett is 20. Way too early to panic, especially given Backlund's progression timeline. Not every pick is going to translate immediately to a hugely impactful player in the NHL. Tkachuk is an exception, not the rule.

Hindsight he is not the best player, not close. Nylander Ehlers and Pastrnak all look way better. Time to smell the coffee, he's been a huge disappointment. Thank god we got Tkachuk

[calgaryblood]

Originally Posted by Beninho

Hindsight he is not the best player, not close. Nylander Ehlers and Pastrnak all look way better. Time to smell the coffee, he's been a huge disappointment. Thank god we got Tkachuk

Yeah but to be fair he was the BPA and was the right choice at the time.

Edit: nvm just saw the part you were replying to. Yeah with hindsight he's not the best player not even close.

[Flash Walken]

The backlund comparison doesn't illustrate what people championing it think it does.

Are you willing to wait 5 or 6 years for Bennett to turn into something? Do we think this team is waiting for gio to be 38 or Gaudreau to be 30 before the flames are legitimate contenders?

Is the argument really that flames fans and the organization should be happy to wait 4 more years for Bennett to break 20 goals?

A backlund style development curve for a 4th overall pick would be considered a bust in my opinion. Bennett is not a couturier level defensive player that you hope develops some offense. You can't play him as a heavy minute defensive player, and he has clearly demonstrated an inability to produce offense that would justify playing him in a top 6 role at C, so where do you play him?

The penalties are a serious issue in my mind because they reflect one, two or three if the following: poor skating, poor hockey IQ, poor positioning.

I really hope he turns into something but there is not much to go on right now to suggest this is just a slump. There are 85+ games of him at centre at this point and he is just not getting it done, poor linemates or no.

Eventually this potential has to turn into something tangible.

[Geeoff]

The team's winning, so I say leave him at centre because it is a more valuable position. Bennett might put up better numbers on the wing, but the team's goal is not to pad Bennett's stats.

[Bonecrushing Hits]

Love the player, love the pick. Don't think anyone is panicking to question his play to date, I find it hard to believe that he has been snake bitten for a year and a half though. I would like to see him on the wing with Backlund and Frolik, he can always move back to center once he gets his game going. This would also free up a place for Jankowski

[Harry Lime]

He's played 85+ games, so basically one season, and hasn't set the world on fire.

[Lanny_McDonald]

The part about Bennett’s game that is concerning is his hockey IQ appears to be very low. He makes bad decision after bad decision and isn’t learning. His propensity to take dumb penalties means he is untrustworthy out there as well. I was hoping he would come out like he wanted the second line center role, but he looks like he wants the 4th line wing or press box job. He really needs to get it together and fast. He’s looking more like Calgary’s Yakupov.

[Stud_McCool]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

...The penalties are a serious issue in my mind because they reflect one, two or three if the following: poor skating, poor hockey IQ, poor positioning.

I totally agree. A good center should possess some decent hockey IQ and utilize his wingers. Watching Bennett this season, it's painfully obvious that his hockey IQ isn't very high and lacks the vision to make plays with his linemates. The cycle game we witnessed on that third line was really all Jagr and Versteeg. Just move him to the wing and call it a day. Experiment failed, time to move on.

[Strange Brew]

Can't help but wonder if some time playing centre in the AHL would have been good for him.

[Fire]

Yeah, I think it's time to move him to wing. I don't think he has the hockey IQ to be a good NHL center. Bring Jankowski up to be the #3 center. Give Backlund a 5 or 6 year extension.

[indes]

I just don't see the potential for Bennett at center. He needs to be on the wing and not expected to drive the play from the middle. Reminds me of Galchenyuk

[Harry Lime]

There seems to be a general feeling that where Bennett ends up will all depend on Jankowski. If Jankowski pushes into that 3rd line centre role, I would be fine with moving Bennett to the wing, and Lazar to 4th line centre.

And I'm a pro-Bennett at centre guy.

Does this conversation mean anything until we actually get to see what we have in Jankowski? That puts all of the pressure on Treliving to figure out getting him up here on a permanent basis, and not just as an injury replacement.

Edit : It would actually be nice to have Bennett waiting in the wings, as an instant injury replacement to a centre.