Sam Bennett Value: Have the Flames held on TOO long? OR is he awesome?

[oldschoolcalgary]

I don't think many people "hate" Bennett (except in GTs, where everyone gets hated)

its more of an acceptance that Bennett will never reach his potential in Calgary, which doesn't mean that he won't do that somewhere else.

While people can argue that he has not gotten first line minutes, he's certainly been tried out with the top units on more than a number of occasions and has never risen to the opportunity.

Take a guy like Mangi; he started out on the bottom line, but through his play in games and presumably practice, he was given a chance to move up the lineup. And to his credit, he has done just that. Mangi wasn't gifted squat.

I don't think Bennett has done anything to suggest he 'deserves' to move up the lineup.

[Harry Lime]

Originally Posted by Jimdon

If the leafs are using a combination of matthews, marner, tavares and nylander as pairs in their top six that leaves hyman and kapanen as the third man on the top two lines. I dont see Bennett passing either one of those two to earn a spot on the top two lines

The latest discussion seemed to be around Bennett being a part of a trade for Kapanen. Bennett is as far above the bottom 2 leaf LW, as marner and nylander is above Bennett.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Harry Lime

Honestly, the dislike for this player that a few posters have is getting to the point where I have an immediate impulse to defend Bennett, even if momentary negatively might be warranted.

This is basically the epitome of the downfall of online human interaction, as an aside.

*Be genuine, don't try to counter or overcorrect discussion. It has a further dividing effect not a correcting one.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by oldschoolcalgary

I don't think many people "hate" Bennett (except in GTs, where everyone gets hated)

its more of an acceptance that Bennett will never reach his potential in Calgary, which doesn't mean that he won't do that somewhere else.

While people can argue that he has not gotten first line minutes, he's certainly been tried out with the top units on more than a number of occasions and has never risen to the opportunity.

Take a guy like Mangi; he started out on the bottom line, but through his play in games and presumably practice, he was given a chance to move up the lineup. And to his credit, he has done just that. Mangi wasn't gifted squat.

I don't think Bennett has done anything to suggest he 'deserves' to move up the lineup.

Yeah being the best player in the playoffs, point per game even, didn’t warrant any kind of look.

You do know Mangiapane is a bottom six player right now, right?

Mangiapane is on a 9 game streak with zero points on the second line.
Bennett got 7 minutes with Johnny and Monny one day. A long time ago.

You know that when Lindholm agreed to play Center, they agreed to give him a dozen games. Tell me again about the great opportunities Bennett has gotten

I know, I know. Bennett takes lazy penalties, often stick infractions like that trip against Toronto.

Great insight

[TheSquatch]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

Yeah being the best player in the playoffs, point per game even, didn’t warrant any kind of look.

You do know Mangiapane is a bottom six player right now, right?

Mangiapane is on a 9 game streak with zero points on the second line.
Bennett got 7 minutes with Johnny and Monny one day. A long time ago.

You know that when Lindholm agreed to play Center, they agreed to give him a dozen games. Tell me again about the great opportunities Bennett has gotten

I know, I know. Bennett takes lazy penalties, often stick infractions like that trip against Toronto.

Great insight

I've thought Mangiapane was a driving force in the last few games I've seen, I did not see the Toronto game, but I'm at the point where I consider Mangiapane and Dube as more valuable to the team moving forward than Bennett. Not the Bennett we hope for, but the Bennett that is - the guy who coughs up the puck pretty often with dumb passes, and who still thinks that the toe-drag is gonna work, I mean, it's gotta work eventually, right? That's Bennett. He's a big strong kid with no vision and a penchant for trying to do too much at the wrong time in both zones. The Bennett we want is a big strong bashing crashing net presence with a nice touch on the puck, but.... that just ain't him. Wish it was. We all wish it was. Has Backlund had opportunities or not? Can we agree that Backlund has a good wrist shot but basically no "touch" on the puck? Or does he need another season or two to really show it?

[Karl]

Originally Posted by TheSquatch

I've thought Mangiapane was a driving force in the last few games I've seen, I did not see the Toronto game, but I'm at the point where I consider Mangiapane and Dube as more valuable to the team moving forward than Bennett. Not the Bennett we hope for, but the Bennett that is - the guy who coughs up the puck pretty often with dumb passes, and who still thinks that the toe-drag is gonna work, I mean, it's gotta work eventually, right? That's Bennett. He's a big strong kid with no vision and a penchant for trying to do too much at the wrong time in both zones. The Bennett we want is a big strong bashing crashing net presence with a nice touch on the puck, but.... that just ain't him. Wish it was. We all wish it was. Has Backlund had opportunities or not? Can we agree that Backlund has a good wrist shot but basically no "touch" on the puck? Or does he need another season or two to really show it?

No. I would say Backlund has an average wrist shot.

[Ped]

Originally Posted by Jimdon

If the leafs are using a combination of matthews, marner, tavares and nylander as pairs in their top six that leaves hyman and kapanen as the third man on the top two lines. I dont see Bennett passing either one of those two to earn a spot on the top two lines

Add to that Engvall, Johnsson, and Tymashov - all who have outscored Bennett this season.


If the Leafs want Bennett, it's not for his scoring, although I'm sure obviously they'd hope the potential exists still.

[Karl]

Originally Posted by Ped

Add to that Engvall, Johnsson, and Tymashov - all who have outscored Bennett this season.


If the Leafs want Bennett, it's not for his scoring, although I'm sure obviously they'd hope the potential exists still.

And they (plus Hyman and Kapanen) except for Tymashov have been better than Bennett too.

[Samonadreau]

Its been a tough season for Bennett with his injury and production woes, but I still maintain he's a decent 3rd liner and better then that in the playoffs. Add to that the Lucic-Ryan-Dube line clicked on day 1 and its been a steady diet of 4th line for Bennett. Not sure why he doesn't get more love for being the only skater that showed up against the Avs last playoffs.

[trieu8]

We need Benzo for the playoffs. He steps up during that time of season.

[kyuss275]

Originally Posted by Samonadreau

Its been a tough season for Bennett with his injury and production woes, but I still maintain he's a decent 3rd liner and better then that in the playoffs. Add to that the Lucic-Ryan-Dube line clicked on day 1 and its been a steady diet of 4th line for Bennett. Not sure why he doesn't get more love for being the only skater that showed up against the Avs last playoffs.

Yes he was the best player for the flames against the avs, but that is not saying much. I do like his physical play come playoff time, but i get the sense some of you think come playoff time he becomes the next Wendal Clark. Come playoff time he looks like what you want out of your 3rd line player. He certainly does not become the skill of a 1st line player.

I would like him for the playoffs this year, but if he needs to be put in a package to get a true top 6 player for the playoffs, they have to do it.

[transplant99]

As spotted on twitter,

He is being outscored by Curtis Lazar.........who has half the games played as Sam.

[Monahammer]

Originally Posted by transplant99

As spotted on twitter,

He is being outscored by Curtis Lazar.........who has half the games played as Sam.

Glad to see lazar put it together. I thought we should have kept him to replace hathaway

Bennett cant even do that :/

[savemedrzaius]

Leafs don't have the cap space to take on Bennett's cap hit.

He's a bottom sixer so no way the Leafs are willing to trade Kappy or Johnsson for him. And the bottom 6 guys are all on cheap contracts for the most part so it wouldn't make sense to deal them away.

Leafs could use his jam but I think backup is a more pressing concern for the Leafs so I don't see it happening.

[Joborule]

So coaching staff is just going to suffocate Bennett on the 4th line, and ensure a player that can offensively produce if he has linemates that have some semblance of offensive talent, no chance of being able to do so? Meanwhile the player that Bennett subbed in for has produced nothing offensively since his return for at least several games now?

Okay, cool. Having the possibility of 3 effective scoring lines is unnecessary anyway.

When he's gone. Flames are gonna regret it. This franchise never does themselves any favours.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by Joborule

So coaching staff is just going to suffocate Bennett on the 4th line, and ensure a player that can offensively produce if he has linemates that have some semblance of offensive talent, no chance of being able to do so? Meanwhile the player that Bennett subbed in for has produced nothing offensively since his return for at least several games now?

Okay, cool. Having the possibility of 3 effective scoring lines is unnecessary anyway.

When he's gone. Flames are gonna regret it. This franchise never does themselves any favours.

who are you talking about?

[AT77]

Originally Posted by Joborule

So coaching staff is just going to suffocate Bennett on the 4th line, and ensure a player that can offensively produce if he has linemates that have some semblance of offensive talent, no chance of being able to do so? Meanwhile the player that Bennett subbed in for has produced nothing offensively since his return for at least several games now?

Okay, cool. Having the possibility of 3 effective scoring lines is unnecessary anyway.

When he's gone. Flames are gonna regret it. This franchise never does themselves any favours.

He's been given chances to produce offensively with top 6 linemates over the years and he hasn't done so. Those who are still holding on to the false belief that he will breakout eventually, are simply dreaming at this point. He sucks, he's not what we hoped for, especially for a 4th overall pick. He's a bottom 6 guy for the rest of his career.

Regret it you say? Lol. Even IF he does somehow breakout on another team, then so be it. It isn't happening on the Flames and never will. Let him go, stop being selfish and holding on to him and holding out hope of him breaking out. Just let him go, it isn't happening here. Like I said, if it somehow magically happens on another team (which I completely doubt it will), then good for him, we move on and he moves on and finds potential (unlikely) success somewhere else.

[Joborule]

Originally Posted by AT77

He's been given chances to produce offensively with top 6 linemates over the years and he hasn't done so. Those who are still holding on to the false belief that he will breakout eventually, are simply dreaming at this point. He sucks, he's not what we hoped for, especially for a 4th overall pick. He's a bottom 6 guy for the rest of his career.

Regret it you say? Lol. Even IF he does somehow breakout on another team, then so be it. It isn't happening on the Flames and never will. Let him go, stop being selfish and holding on to him and holding out hope of him breaking out. Just let him go, it isn't happening here. Like I said, if it somehow magically happens on another team (which I completely doubt it will), then good for him, we move on and he moves on and finds potential (unlikely) success somewhere else.

I'm not saying Bennett has to being playing with top 6 players. Where did I say that?

I said Bennett should be playing with players that have at least the ability to do something offensively. There's a player on the third line that's capable of that. Why after Bennett has done a better job in filling in Ryan's role - than Ryan has since coming back - is there such apprehension to let Bennett play with Dube regularly after he finally had a stretch of games of producing points and making a positive impact? Why doesn't this team want to maximize the potential of the line combinations that can produce the most goals?

Who the #### is going to produce when Janko and Reider/Rinaldo are your linemates? I think even McDavid and Draisaitl will have quite some difficulties there. I mean sure, the 4th line isn't really viewed as the line that will get you a goal, but it's a waste to have a player like Bennett who has shown he can produce good chances based on corsi stats. I feel that they're really limiting the potential output from Bennett here as a result, while the player above him in the depth chart isn't bringing in results that would justify keeping Bennett down on the 4th.

[bubbsy]

Bennett plays great, shows a glimpse of confidence then gets thrown back to play with jankowski.

Ryan has looked terrible of late BTW, but he sure gets a long leash of garbage play.

[DeluxeMoustache]

That TOI today.

Bennett 8:12
Jankowski 5:56
Rinaldo 4:45

Thanks, coach

I’d ask for a trade