Flames are committed to keeping Sam Bennett at centre

[Oling_Roachinen]

Originally Posted by MisterJoji

Let's see. Born in 1984, scored 100 points at the end of the 2005/06 season. 2006 - 1984 = 22. Yep, the math checks out.

He was 21 at the end of the 2005-2006 season, of which he started as a 20 year old. His 22nd birthday occurred in the 2006-2007 season, October 29.

So, no the math does not check out.

Sam Bennett, born 1996. 2017-1996 is what again?

[Flash Walken]

The problem for me is that over his last 82 games bennett has only 14 goals and 32 points.

It's not a trend of a great rookie season with a stinker sophomore slump, it's a trend of a guy who scores in bunches not really scoring otherwise.

He scored 8 of his 18 in a 5 game span last season including the awesome 4 goal game, but on either side of that streak there are large goal and point droughts. This year, it is more of the same but so far without the 4 goal game.

The problem is, it's not like he's beating defenders and ringing them off the post or setting up his linemates with glorious opportunities and having them all flub his chances. He's not really dazzling offensively at all this year, to the point where I question whether he's been hurt all year long.

Either way, there isn't much tangible evidence from his pro career that he will put up offensive numbers in the NHL. I hope he does, but so far the only thing to base that on is his junior career, draft pedigree and optimism.

[Soliak]

Originally Posted by savardandjokinen

Main thing is, guys like Tarasenko, Thornton, Getzlaf etc are/were franchise players. I don't expect Bennett to reach that, and we already have Johnny Gaudreau. If Bennett can develop into a perennial 60-65 point player behind Monahan I'm happy.

If Bennett develops into a perennial 60-65pt 2-way centre I will be way more than happy, probably ecstatic to be honest. People need to check their expectations, he could very well end up being on par with someone like Kadri.

[Finger Cookin]

Originally Posted by Soliak

If Bennett develops into a perennial 60-65pt 2-way centre I will be way more than happy, probably ecstatic to be honest. People need to check their expectations, he could very well end up being on par with someone like Kadri.

Yep. 60-65 is nothing to sneeze at. 19 centres in the league scored 60 or more points last season. There might be 25 or so this year. It would be awesome if Bennett was perennially at that level.

[the2bears]

Originally Posted by MarkGio

I don't like these excuses.

1) Being on the #2PP unit means you're facing the #2 PK unit.

No it doesn't. PK units generally have shorter shifts than their counterparts. It's no where near as simple as you suggest.

[Calgary4LIfe]

Why there is even an argument about how much Bennett progresses and at what position and line slotting he will top out at is kind of funny. Kid basically missed an entire season of hockey. This season, he is not producing - on a team that has a handful of skilled and older players not producing well either.

I learned something from this thread though. I am a complete an unabashed fanboy when it comes to Bennett since I believe he has top-line talent and ceiling, and my opinion should be completely disregarded. Only a complete imbecile would use such an argument on essentially a FAN SITE.

Honestly, that must have been the stupidest, most immature and ridiculous piece of argument I have ever read here on this site, or on any other site. If this site gave out awards akin to the Razzies, that would be my nomination. It is a completely preposterous argument to make, and extremely ironic given that this is a site FOR FANS! My least favorite posters on this site are not the ones that make contrary arguments to the ones I hold personally - even if they completely disprove my own posts and make me feel like an idiot, but it is the posters that are routinely condescending. To pull the 'fanboy' argument on a fan site is complete idiocy (and yes, I realize I am being extremely condescending and even disparaging in my post here, but seriously, WTF??).

Now as for Bennett, the truth is nobody really knows where he tops out at. I just don't think that this season is one in which any poster should be setting some arbitrary limit on Bennett's future, given that many players are currently experiencing a 'slump'. Sure, Tkachuk is doing really well (and he is indeed a beauty), but there at least seems to be a potential legitimate rationale for that, and it is that the current system is not conducive for a 'skilled' player to put up good numbers. From top to bottom, you can see a regression in production among the skilled players, and I would count Bennett as being one of them.

This is where I still have my own reservations when it comes to Gulutzan. Hartley still made the skilled players accountable defensively, regardless of what posters may feel about his system, and the skilled players did put up more points. Maybe it is 'too structured'? Maybe it is 'too defensive'? Maybe it is simply a case of some players focusing too much on which side of the puck they should be on and err on the side of caution? Maybe it is a confidence issue, or even that some players have become a bit rattled? I remember Hartley would tell Backlund that he is playing too defensively, and wanted to see him contribute more offensively - yet he would chew Backlund out for making a big mistake. Monahan went through a period where he wasn't producing, and Hartley told him that he needs to stop being overly worried about his defensive game and make sure he is contributing on the stat sheet as well, and that Monahan should loosen up a bit.

Maybe that is simply what is happening with a few of the skilled players who are having trouble adjusting (at least 5v5). Maybe they just haven't really adjusted to it, or maybe the system needs to adjust a bit for the current makeup of the roster? I don't have any answers.

I just know that pigeon-holing Bennett right now is at best premature given his experience in the league, the fact that he lost practically a year of development time yet still was very impressive during the playoffs, and has had many impressive games for the Flames since entering the league. He may indeed end up as a 3rd liner, or he may end up being the Franchise center for this team. Nobody can definitively state how far Bennett does indeed develop, but I for one wouldn't be lowering his ceiling at this point without lowering the ceiling on all the other skilled players either. Something to me doesn't add up.

I do like what both Treliving and Gulutzan had to say and what the 'plan' is around Bennett, and I am glad that they are being patient with Bennett. I really like Jankowski, and I think he will surprise us in the NHL in time, but like Textcritic so aptly put it - you can't really have too many centers. What's wrong with having a team of 12 forwards who were all capable centers, and who could all play solid 200ft games? Sounds a heck of a lot better than having 12 wingers, no?

If Bennett shows that he is not capable of playing center in the NHL in time, than so be it. I just don't think he should be converted to the wing, and then labeled a winger from now on. I would be fine with him even playing both positions for a while, as that has worked for a number of centers around the NHL. Development is neither linear nor is it guaranteed. We forget that sometimes.

[MisterJoji]

Originally Posted by Oling_Roachinen

He was 21 at the end of the 2005-2006 season, of which he started as a 20 year old. His 22nd birthday occurred in the 2006-2007 season, October 29.

So, no the math does not check out.

Sam Bennett, born 1996. 2017-1996 is what again?

Okay fair enough. However the main point I was trying to make with my list of players is that many players, specifically Centers need a few years before really coming into their own. Whether they had their rookie seasons as 18 year olds or 22 year olds really isn't the focal point. The fact that Sam didn't put up 50+ points from year one and has regressed somewhat this year does not mean his ceiling tops out at a 3rd liner like the guys like Da Chief are pegging him. Giving up on him now is asinine.