[News] With the 21st overall pick Flames select C Mark Jankowski

[LouCypher]

Might sound like a stretch to some but at this point is he as good or better than Bennett? I think an argument could be made that he isn't that far off of where Bennett is now in terms of what he could do if given the opportunity with decent ice time.

[Beninho]

If he was Treliving's pick he would be in that #3 center role right now. Tre is going to give Bennett a ridiculous amount of chances there because Bennett is his guy and Janko is Feasters. For those wondering Janko is better than Bennett right now. One has progressed every season and the other has regressed. This is ridiculous at this point. #freejanko

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by BACKCHECK!!!

As a 4th liner in the NHL, Jankowski would have better teammates, better opponents, better coaching, better facilities, etc. Everything is higher level.

As a 1st liner in the AHL, Jankowski gets an extra 7 minutes of ice time, against opponents who are clearly a level below him.

Not a good tradeoff, in my opinion.

It's all about confidence - when Jankowski is playing those extra seven minutes, he's getting seven extra minutes to dominate his opposition. When he comes up, he's going to be feeling it, and he's going to be put in an offensive role.

We talked in the summer about Jankowski and Bennett fighting for the #3C. It's clear the Flames are giving Bennett every opportunity to win/lose that job and stick as a centre. It's concerning that Bennett has not developed chemistry with any of our wingers; people will criticise Monahan for being a 'product of Gaudreau', but Bennett doesn't look like an offensively capable centre ice man without Johnny riding shotgun. Monahan can play on his own and his production doesn't change much.

The team's biggest weakness is still the lack of a top line wing option - Jagr is not the answer on that line. We don't have a ton of assets to make a deal for outside help. What we do have are Sam Bennett and Mark Jankowski. Jankowski is going to be here sooner or later playing on the 3rd line with Versteeg and Jagr. Sam Bennett is going to play on the 1st line with Monahan and Gaudreau. Ferland will play with Stajan and Brouwer.

By Christmas.

[Beninho]

Originally Posted by LouCypher

Might sound like a stretch to some but at this point is he as good or better than Bennett? I think an argument could be made that he isn't that far off of where Bennett is now in terms of what he could do if given the opportunity with decent ice time.

He's better, 6'4, good hands, way better passer, doesn't get pushed off the puck like Bennett, way better shot. Can actuallty get his shot off in traffic and doesn't bobble the puck. He's a lot better just needs a god damn shot to prove it.

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by Beninho

He's better, 6'4, good hands, way better passer, doesn't get pushed off the puck like Bennett, way better shot. Can actuallty get his shot off in traffic and doesn't bobble the puck. He's a lot better just needs a god damn shot to prove it.

I have seen Bennett and Jankowski play in the same games/same scenarios a few times. 2015 Dev Camp. 2016 Preseason. 2017 Preseason. Bennett has been definitively better in every single one of them. While playing center.

I can understand being hyped about Jankowski - I am too - but let's not make up facts with no basis. Context is a huge thing. I think Jankowski is good enough to be a 3C or 2C in the NHL right now. I also think people are blowing up some rough play from Bennett into something it's not (i.e. failure to play center or terrible passer). Playing 3C is a tough role in the NHL because your wingers are usually the guys who can't play top 6 and can't play a checking role - it's like when Backlund was centering Mason Raymond and Joe Colborne a couple years back and that was our worst line. In many ways Backlund, who plays the toughest minutes on this team, has it easier because Frolik and Tkachuk are out there with him at all times keeping the well oiled machine running like clockwork. Stajan has it easier because he is always out there with the 1st pair against other team's 4th lines. Monahan might have it a bit tougher in terms of the defensemen he sees, but he also plays with our best offensive forward which at least offsets that.

[Beninho]

Originally Posted by GranteedEV

I have seen Bennett and Jankowski play in the same games/same scenarios a few times. 2015 Dev Camp. 2016 Preseason. 2017 Preseason. Bennett has been definitively better in every single one of them. While playing center.

I can understand being hyped about Jankowski - I am too - but let's not make up facts with no basis.

No that's just a lie, Jankowski was better in probably every pre-season game this season. Just wait, Bennett is only better at skating, everything else Janko is better at.

[PepsiFree]

Jankowski is not already better than Bennett, just stop.

With 3 extra years of development he’s just finally knocking on the door, while Bennett has 2 NHL seasons under his belt. Jankowski being better than Bennett is malarkey.

[868904]

Originally Posted by Beninho

If he was Treliving's pick he would be in that #3 center role right now. Tre is going to give Bennett a ridiculous amount of chances there because Bennett is his guy and Janko is Feasters. For those wondering Janko is better than Bennett right now. One has progressed every season and the other has regressed. This is ridiculous at this point. #freejanko

BS

Treliving has not shown any kind of petty egotistical behaviour at all.

Numbers and asset management are the only reason why Janko is not in the NHL.

[djsFlames]

I bet Jankowski would produce more than Bennett from a PPG basis right now.

Jankowski is also older and should be coming into his own about now. Bennett has a couple years yet before that point, and has undeniable stumbled on the scoring front and had some setbacks. Still very much learning and figuring things out. It depends on what you value most, but I doubt the separation would be huge.

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by Beninho

No that's just a lie, Jankowski was better in probably every pre-season game this season.

No, that's just a lie. I dislike, nay, hate having to disparage Jankowski's accomplishments because I think he has legit 1C upside, but factual integrity is still important.

Bennett was the clear 2nd best player on the ice @ Edmonton. The lone better player? Connor McDavid.

Jankowski was overshadowed VS Edmonton by: Gaudreau, Monahan, Ferland, Yamamoto, Draisaitl, Larsson, Klefbom. He scored a goal, but didn't have an amazing game.

Jankowski was not great @ Vancouver. He would tell you the same. He scored a goal, but was actually outplayed by Dillon Dube, who was probably the best player on the ice that night.

Bennett was the clear best player on the ice vs Arizona. In a game with Gaudreau.
Jankowski vs Arizona was behind Gaudreau, Bennett at the least. Probably Ferland too and probably a few defensemen.

Jankowski's game @ WPG was solid IIRC. Nothing to write home about. I thought he was better than Monahan but Monahan did hit the stat sheet that night on a gorgeous breakaway.

vs VAN I don't remember exactly how Bennett played, but I do believe it was not nearly as meh as Jankowski's game @ Vancouver.

Vs Winnipeg I don't rememember who was better, other than being annoyed IIRC that Troy Brouwer was on Bennett's line after the reprieve we had gotten last year. According to the box score Bennett had 3 SOG and 1A and Jankowski had 2 SOG and 2PIM.

Now quit making up lies about history so we can get back to Jankowski is the future Joe Thornton. Because he is.

[camm13]

This whole thing is getting ridiculous with those including the organization so hung up on benett as a centre and only that. Move him to the first line RW for 20 games and have Janko on the 3rd C already. Benett himself would probably rather play on the wing on the first line than on the 3rd. We would have a legitmate threating first line that would be hard to contain. The focus wouldnt be just on johnny. And we need to see what we have in benett. Who else has zero points on the season so far.. all the 4th liners. Get him some quality mins and line mates before writting and trading him off for a RW when he could already be our solution.

[djsFlames]

Or if Jagr on the top line pans out, Versteeg - Jankowski - Bennett would be an intriguing third line. Would like to see the two young beasts together.

[Poe969]

2 young beasts?? Versteeg isn't that young...Bennett hasn't been playing like a beast at all

[camm13]

Originally Posted by Poe969

2 young beasts?? Versteeg isn't that young...Bennett hasn't been playing like a beast at all

Hes refering to benett and janko

[Poe969]

I know, my white text says that Bennett hasn't been playing like a beast at all

[puckedoff]

Originally Posted by djsFlames

Or if Jagr on the top line pans out, Versteeg - Jankowski - Bennett would be an intriguing third line. Would like to see the two young beasts together.

Matching beards

[Bingo]

Bennett has taken longer than I thought, I'll admit that. But you can't compare Jankowski's one game at the NHL level, and one season at the AHL level to Bennett's body of work yet.

They're not comparable.

I would guess Bennett would be tearing up the AHL pretty good himself.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by Poe969

I know, my white text says that Bennett hasn't been playing like a beast at all

Well that's what you get for using white text.

[Beninho]

Originally Posted by GranteedEV

No, that's just a lie. I dislike, nay, hate having to disparage Jankowski's accomplishments because I think he has legit 1C upside, but factual integrity is still important.

Bennett was the clear 2nd best player on the ice @ Edmonton. The lone better player? Connor McDavid.

Jankowski was overshadowed VS Edmonton by: Gaudreau, Monahan, Ferland, Yamamoto, Draisaitl, Larsson, Klefbom. He scored a goal, but didn't have an amazing game.

Jankowski was not great @ Vancouver. He would tell you the same. He scored a goal, but was actually outplayed by Dillon Dube, who was probably the best player on the ice that night.

Bennett was the clear best player on the ice vs Arizona. In a game with Gaudreau.
Jankowski vs Arizona was behind Gaudreau, Bennett at the least. Probably Ferland too and probably a few defensemen.

Jankowski's game @ WPG was solid IIRC. Nothing to write home about. I thought he was better than Monahan but Monahan did hit the stat sheet that night on a gorgeous breakaway.

vs VAN I don't remember exactly how Bennett played, but I do believe it was not nearly as meh as Jankowski's game @ Vancouver.

Vs Winnipeg I don't rememember who was better, other than being annoyed IIRC that Troy Brouwer was on Bennett's line after the reprieve we had gotten last year. According to the box score Bennett had 3 SOG and 1A and Jankowski had 2 SOG and 2PIM.

Now quit making up lies about history so we can get back to Jankowski is the future Joe Thornton. Because he is.

I viewed the games quite differently, I thought Bennett was sub par in every game besides Arizona and he's translated his sub par preseason to a sub par regular season.Call me crazy but I don't see it with Bennett, hope he proves me wrong. Jankowski was a first round pick 2 years before Bennett and deserves all the chances Bennett has gotten. Bennett still looks exactly the same as he was last year. There's been zero progression.

Bennett has been a brutal no.4 pick, people like to compare him to Backlunds development but Backlund also wasn't the highest pick in franchise history. Look at some of the players that went after Bennett, or in similar spots in other drafts. People need to start calling a spad a spade. He's been extremely underwhelming. I'm sure I'll be attacked for this. Thank god Flames got Tkachuk

[Fighting Banana Slug]

I am a huge believer in Bennett as a talent. But he needs to start producing (and take fewer penalties) or I think he might be headed for a healthy scratch. Something just doesn't seem to click for him.