The Legend of Sam Bennett

[CsInMyBlood]

Originally Posted by monkeyman

Ferland is an interesting comparison. If you look at his career, he really didn't start to pull it together until his mid 20's. The next two years will be interesting to watch from Bennett. I'm betting he takes another step.

We've literally heard this every single year since he was 18 year old Sam Bennett.

He always proves this wrong.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by djsFlames

I saw the Bennett highlights from the Lightning game.

He didn't do anything he wasn't already doing here (in a smaller sample). Happened to be on the ice for a couple goals that were largely generated by his linemates, made space to allow said plays as he usually does, and granted a more significant role.

Didn't morph into a 4th overall skilled superstar.

Colour me shocked that the "what if" talk is still happening here. The fat lady has finished her number, left the parking lot, driven home and gone to bed.

Bennett had a trillion opportunities to raise his game outside of just the playoffs, and a few more for good measure in just about every forward position and role imaginable. He was alright, but never showed a next gear.

Move the eff on.

Haha. Funny post

Move the eff on, indeed

[btimbit]

Bennett's played over 400 games, he is what he is at this point.

What he is is capable of putting together good games. Just because he's traded doesn't mean he'll all of a sudden be a superstar. It doesn't mean people need to go all "I told ya so!" when he plays well. It doesn't all of a sudden mean people need to root against him either.

[monkeyman]

I think people's expectations of Bennett correlates to their disappointment. Those thinking he was going to be or ever will be a superstar is ridiculous. Does he still have the opportunity to become a solid, hard checking top six and a valuable part of a successful team? I think so.
Time will tell. I'm going to enjoy watching him over the next couple of years to find out.

[shadowlord]

Originally Posted by getbak

https://twitter.com/user/status/1383944674260393985

If anyone is interested, I did some searching and here is the link to the interview on Ryan Leslie's Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CN0-MNwKC0W/?hl=en

[Monahammer]

y'know it's funny. Posters get #### on all the time for proudly supporting shortcomings of the team, but then in here there are a troop of people dead set on continuing to follow Bennett and loudly hoping he goes on to produce at a high level. Aren't these the same thing? Bennett now is just another player in the league to us. He was the club's highest ever draft pick and he couldn't do anything note worthy here- the healthiest thing would be to just forget about his time here. Wish him well, but otherwise who cares, he's just another centre on a team in florida.

Speculating about his new linemates, watching his every game, commenting on his highlights... Just seems like obsessing about an ex/ looking for more ways to #### on the team ( "Look at how good sam is if played in the right position!!! Our club is the one who failed him!" *insert spongebob caveman meme*)

Honestly, just let him go. Sam Bennett wasn't a good flame, he's not worthy of our continued thought.

[Bingo]

^I'd agree with most of that.

He's no longer a Flame asset, the return was greater than what most of us expected, and the return won't change if he finds it in Florida or remains what he's been in Calgary for the last six years.

[Scroopy Noopers]

.... since when are only Flames assets discussed on this site? Dumb. I like other players in the league, I can’t be the only one who likes hockey before liking a team.

[monkeyman]

Actively cheering for a player is not the same as actively cheering against the team. That’s a narrow and petty way to look at it. I’ve been a fan of Bennett and have preached that he needed both time and opportunity for a long time. Why should I stop rooting for him now? It seemed to me the real problem and the people who can’t let go are the ones who have and continue to hope he fails and he’s playing in Russia or the AHL in a year.
I’ll continue to root for him.

[tvp2003]

I'd agree -- it's okay to like and follow other players (especially those with a prior attachment to the team), and not just cheer for the laundry.

In this case, the guy was just traded and had a good first game on his new team. Seems more exciting than some of the hockey the Flames have played this year to be honest. The constant vitriol from some posters about Bennett is a little over the top though.

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by monkeyman

Actively cheering for a player is not the same as actively cheering against the team. That’s a narrow and petty way to look at it. I’ve been a fan of Bennett and have preached that he needed both time and opportunity for a long time. Why should I stop rooting for him now? It seemed to me the real problem and the people who can’t let go are the ones who have and continue to hope he fails and he’s playing in Russia or the AHL in a year.
I’ll continue to root for him.

Same. I will continue to root for him, and be excited about the return we got for moving on from him. I like both of these things.

[EVERLAST]

I love how hell bent some people are on hating #93 even though he's not here anymore.

Well...knock yourself out. If you need to stand in the middle of a burning bridge to prove your Full on crazy.....go for it.

Move on with your life though ....I mean really. ....or.go crawl back under the rock you live under.

[Fighting Banana Slug]

Originally Posted by DazzlinDino

Did you watch the game?

I did not, and I offered no opinion as to whether he was any good or not.

[SeanCharles]

I hope he does well.

If he was traded to a team I hate it would be a different story but I can get behind a team like the Panthers.

[ben voyonsdonc]

Bennett might do well in Florida. He very possibly could find that magic that he didn't find here. However, there was very little chance he'd ever find it if he was still playing for us.

We tried:
1) Changing his role
2) Changing his position
3) Changing his ice time
4) Changing his linemates
5) Changing his coach (several times)

Despite everything we tried, it just didn't work out the way we wanted and really the only option left for Sam was a change of scenery. I'm glad we received some assets in return.

Could we have maybe eased him into the NHL? Yes. I honestly don't know if that was the solution but we don't have a time machine to go back and redo it.

Sometimes both sides do better after a breakup and hopefully this is the case for us.

[GioforPM]

I figure there’s nothing wrong with rooting for a guy you liked. It’s different and not even very accurate to turn that into an “I told you so”, and I don’t blame some people for reading that into at least some of these posts. It didn’t work with the Flames for whatever reason, and they did well for both sides to trade him.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

y'know it's funny. Posters get #### on all the time for proudly supporting shortcomings of the team, but then in here there are a troop of people dead set on continuing to follow Bennett and loudly hoping he goes on to produce at a high level. Aren't these the same thing? Bennett now is just another player in the league to us. He was the club's highest ever draft pick and he couldn't do anything note worthy here- the healthiest thing would be to just forget about his time here. Wish him well, but otherwise who cares, he's just another centre on a team in florida.

Speculating about his new linemates, watching his every game, commenting on his highlights... Just seems like obsessing about an ex/ looking for more ways to #### on the team ( "Look at how good sam is if played in the right position!!! Our club is the one who failed him!" *insert spongebob caveman meme*)

Honestly, just let him go. Sam Bennett wasn't a good flame, he's not worthy of our continued thought.

Some people are still going to be interested in the player, and he will be posted about. You might as well learn to live with it

And if he’s not worthy of your personal thought, then you should have no trouble not posting about him

Good luck

[AC]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

Some people are still going to be interested in the player, and he will be posted about. You might as well learn to live with it

And if he’s not worthy of your personal thought, then you should have no trouble not posting about him

Good luck

This remains as accurate as ever:

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by ben voyonsdonc

Bennett might do well in Florida. He very possibly could find that magic that he didn't find here. However, there was very little chance he'd ever find it if he was still playing for us.

We tried:
1) Changing his role
2) Changing his position
3) Changing his ice time
4) Changing his linemates
5) Changing his coach (several times)

Despite everything we tried, it just didn't work out the way we wanted and really the only option left for Sam was a change of scenery. I'm glad we received some assets in return.

Could we have maybe eased him into the NHL? Yes. I honestly don't know if that was the solution but we don't have a time machine to go back and redo it.

Sometimes both sides do better after a breakup and hopefully this is the case for us.

I think as long as he was playing behind Monahan, Lindholm, and Backlund, he never would have made it here. He was made redundant by three other mediocre middle six centers in their primes who had all proven more before he had ever even played a game in this league.

In Florida he's found himself a team that not only has a legit 1C in Barkov, but an actual need for a player like Sam Bennett down the middle in a secondary role.

I'm excited to hopefully see him break out, and that's got nothing to do with my feelings about the Calgary Flames. If we're comparing our team to theirs, the Flames suck because we don't have an Ekblad, a Barkov, or even a Huberdeau. All players drafted at a higher draft position than Sam Bennett.

[CSharp]

Originally Posted by monkeyman

Ferland is an interesting comparison. If you look at his career, he really didn't start to pull it together until his mid 20's. The next two years will be interesting to watch from Bennett. I'm betting he takes another step.

I absolutely see no comparisons between the two players. Ferland was a power forward who stepped up. Just too bad he got concussed and banged up from how he played the game full on rather than float around.