[News] All-encompassing Bennett trade discussions thread

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Red

You see, it's tough for us to tell what these guys think. We are not there. But if this was in my professional life where a team member would bolt the team because I am holding him back, I would not be sending him a christmas card anymore.

These guys are all about the team. Take one for the team etc....Sam is saying nope, I am leaving.

We hear it all the time. Especially when vets play smaller roles on teams, they get praised for being team first kind of guys. Sam is doing the opposite. They may not hate him for it, but I figure some would get rubbed the wrong way. Especially the guys he plays with, since he is essentially saying that he wants to play with better guys than them. A true teammate would never make a lesser player feel inferior.

If it were me, I would rather approach my team-mate and ask him about what is going on and how he feels before jumping to conclusions about why he wants to move on.

[Red]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Bennett's agent said maybe a change of scenery would be good for everybody. Sam didn't say what you are suggesting. There is no evidence that he has quit on the team.

You are putting words in his mouth, then assessing how you think the team is reacting to those words.

Doing neither but whatever.

Sam's agent says what he is told. End of story.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

It's tough to play Mangiapane in the top 6 because if you want Backlund to play against other teams top 6 he can't do that with Bennett and Lucic as his wingers.

The situation has been the same all season - this team has 7 top 9 forwards to fill the 9 spots. So two of the spots need to be filled by the other guys.

IMO in the top 6 we have 3 pairs of forwards and we should stick to that.

Tkachuk - Lindholm
Gaudreau -Monahan
Mangiapane - Backlund

Then you need to fill out the top 9 around that. If I'm setting up the lineup for tomorrow night I'd have it set up as:

Tkachuk - Lindholm - Bennett: He was a healthy scratch last game, give him top 6 linemates to see if he can do something with a chip on his shoulder.

Gaudreau - Monahan - Dube: Dube is the best fit for this line. They need somebody with speed who can push back d-men, and win pucks in the corners.

Mangiapane - Backlund - Leivo: They haven't looked bad together, Leivo hasn't been great but he does slowly seem to be getting better every game.

Lucic - Gawdin - Nordstrom: 4th line really takes a hit if Ryan is hurt, play this line minimal minutes and really ride the top 9.

or the alternative option that is even easier is to just go back to the top 9 from last years playoffs.

Gaudreau - Monahan - Lindholm
Tkachuk - Backlund - Mangiapane
Lucic - Bennett - Dube

I agree with most of this, but I think the team may have assumed Lindholm would play against the top lines, and therefore Mangiapane would be on that line as well. I just don't think Backlund on the the third line could expect enough minutes to do that. Or else they are playing at least second minute lines.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by Red

Doing neither but whatever.

Sam's agent says what he is told. End of story.

...yeah... and you keep suggesting it was something different than what he actually said

[Red]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

...yeah... and you keep suggesting it was something different than what he actually said

as in?

[TOfan]

Originally Posted by Red

It's not about him liking one guy over another etc It's about him making it public via the trade request.

Thinking that a player is a bad fit for you is one thing. Telling a TSN reporter the same is a whole other thing.

Translate this to regular Joe life. It's thinking your co-worker sucks versus telling your boss that your co-worker sucks in front of the rest of the team.

I don't think the locker room is a very good comparison to regular life. Professional athletes have a different psychological make up than Sara the dental hygienist or Glenn the accountant. What's said in the locker room or on the ice, even in todays world, is probably a far cry from whats acceptable in an office. These are individuals who have likely dominated their sport from a very young age. They probably have a pretty strong belief in themselves and their capabilities. They want the stage to prove it and if it means fighting for that stage, they're happy to do so. By extension, the people they are fighting with aren't wilting flowers.

I don't think there will be many hurt feelings if Sam Bennett is saying 'I want more ice time, play me up the line up'. That probably happens a thousand times over throughout the course of a season in professional hockey. And by him saying that I doubt Josh Lievo is sitting there thinking to himself 'Oh no, Sam thinks I suck, where's my sports psychologist?'

I seriously doubt Oliver Kylington hasn't already said the same thing as well to the coaches and I doubt his teammates are unsettled by that.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Red

Doing neither but whatever...

Come on. This is exactly what you are doing:

Originally Posted by Red

...a team member would bolt the team because...

...Sam is saying...

...he is essentially saying...

[GioforPM]

If they are continuing to try out various forwards at RW with Monahan, and they don't want to use Dube there (I don't know why), why not Ryan? He's got some offensive ability, he's a RHS, he has defensive ability needed on that line. Basically a poor man's Lindholm.

[Flames1217]

Anyone have access to the Bennett Zoom Call?

[Red]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

If it were me, I would rather approach my team-mate and ask him about what is going on and how he feels before jumping to conclusions about why he wants to move on.

I think this is a lot simpler that some here try to make it. Sam Bennett feels that he should be playing on a higher line. As in, better linemates, bigger role.

Like it or not, but that is indirectly saying that he doesn't want to play with scrubs anymore.

No conclusions to jump. It's a simple no-no in a team environment.

[gunnner]

Id try this. Reunite the Dube Lucic Bennet line

Gaudreau-Monahan-Mag
Tkachuck-Backlund-Lindholm
Lucic-Bennett-Dube

[Red]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

Come on. This is exactly what you are doing:

Well, neither here nor there.

It was pointed out to me that Sam didn't ask for a trade and that it was his agent instead.

I don't believe the agent makes that request on his own. So yes, I believe that Sam said it.

If that's putting words in his mouth, so be it.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

I get that the lines haven't been working so far, but I can't believe some people want to move Backlund up to the 2nd line. He has been pretty terrible in the first 10 games and should not be rewarded for it.

I still believe the lineup is much deeper with Lindholm at C. It isn't the makeup of the lines that is failing, it is the style of game they are playing, and the lack of emotion.

Juggling the lines doesn't change either of those things.

I tend to agree. I will say, though, that I thought last night's game was more about emotions than style. Through the first period I thought the team looked pretty good, was moving the puck well and getting into the offensive zone without issues. The two first period power plays sapped their momentum, and it looked to me like a lot of second guessing, poor decision making and overall lack of confidence. I thought the second period played out like this as well: a series of dumb decisions resulting in some terrible breakdowns and goals.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Red

Well, neither here nor there.

It was pointed out to me that Sam didn't ask for a trade and that it was his agent instead.

I don't believe the agent makes that request on his own. So yes, I believe that Sam said it.

If that's putting words in his mouth, so be it.

No. Putting words in Bennett's mouth is asserting all the feelings he has and his reasons for wanting a trade in the first place. I am also certain that Bennett has requested to be moved, but I tend to think your interpretation of this request is totally fabricated.

[Nsd1]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1357781342298140677

https://twitter.com/user/status/1357790369774071813

[ComixZone]

Good for you Benny.

Call out Ward for being the putz he is.

[habernac]

1 assist in 9 games? Bennett doesn't have a leg to stand on here. And that response is brutal.

[TOfan]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

Good for you Benny.

Call out Ward for being the putz he is.

I find it more likely the Flames may have been close enough on a deal to leave him out of the line up as opposed to them being a putz. You may not like Ward/Treliving, but they're not children.

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by TOfan

I find it more likely the Flames may have been close enough on a deal to leave him out of the line up as opposed to them being a putz. You may not like Ward/Treliving, but they're not children.

I think Ward is a fairly incompetent coach. The fact that nothing was communicated to Bennett other than being on a list is exactly what the coaching staff did to Lucic last season when it came to playing time/role. I guess that wasn't a Peters-specific deficiency.

Any way we cut it, Bennett's time as a Flame is/should be over and we can move on as fans as soon as the deal breaks, and hopefully it's soon. You can't have a player saying that the team is playing games like that.

[Ashasx]

Originally Posted by Nsd1

https://twitter.com/user/status/1357790369774071813

Wait

They didn't communicate to him why he was a healthy scratch? Whether it was performance or trade related?

How is this acceptable?