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

[The Boy Wonder]

The Troy Brouwer signing and subsequent drive off a cliff has been the worst thing to happen to sam Bennett. He's had such ####ty line mates, especially last year and this year whenever Brouwer comes up to a line it goes to pot

[GoJetsGo]

Originally Posted by bubbsy

Our second line has quieted down.

Our 2nd line was absolutely dominant two games ago and solid last night.

[CSharp]

Flash Walken's avatar says it all. How the hell did the Flames let the Oilers slip past them in the standings to get Draisaitl and the Flames ended up with Bennett? If the Flames had a fantastic rebuild in place we'd have the following players:

Monahan, Gaudreau, Draisaitl, either McDavid/Eichel, Tkachuk. Flames are getting 60% of what they should be getting. Lucky Feister took a huge leap of faith and drafted Jankowski, who's coming around and is looking way better as a center than Bennett.

I think if the Flames make the playoffs and Bennett shows up, Treliving needs to pull the trigger on him on or before the next draft to try and get a second round pick if even that. It'll be great if Bennett gets unloaded at the trade deadline, along with Brouwer and Stajan.

[GoJetsGo]

Originally Posted by CSharp

Flash Walken's avatar says it all. How the hell did the Flames let the Oilers slip past them in the standings to get Draisaitl and the Flames ended up with Bennett? If the Flames had a fantastic rebuild in place we'd have the following players:

Monahan, Gaudreau, Draisaitl, either McDavid/Eichel, Tkachuk.

This is loser logic, because the only reason the Oilers have drafted who they did is because they are decade long losers.

The draft is too random to be upset about hypotheticals like this.

It sucks Bennett isn't an impact player right now, but Tkachuk is. It's luck of the draw.

[Geeoff]

Originally Posted by CSharp

Flash Walken's avatar says it all. How the hell did the Flames let the Oilers slip past them in the standings to get Draisaitl and the Flames ended up with Bennett? If the Flames had a fantastic rebuild in place we'd have the following players:

Monahan, Gaudreau, Draisaitl, either McDavid/Eichel, Tkachuk. Flames are getting 60% of what they should be getting. Lucky Feister took a huge leap of faith and drafted Jankowski, who's coming around and is looking way better as a center than Bennett.

I think if the Flames make the playoffs and Bennett shows up, Treliving needs to pull the trigger on him on or before the next draft to try and get a second round pick if even that. It'll be great if Bennett gets unloaded at the trade deadline, along with Brouwer and Stajan.

Flames made the playoffs in the McDavid/Eichel year and traded the pick for Dougie Hamilton... How exactly were they gonna draft one of them? Not to mention Buffalo and Arizona's absolutely shameless fire sales that year. We never would've kept up with that level of suck.

[GoJetsGo]

I don't know what the answer is regarding Bennett right now, but if we do land an upgrade at wing it might take some pressure off Sam to slide down to the 4th line:

Versteeg - Jankowski - [New addition]

Bennett <-> Lazar - Hathaway

That bottom line could wreak havoc.

[The Boy Wonder]

Originally Posted by CSharp

Flash Walken's avatar says it all. How the hell did the Flames let the Oilers slip past them in the standings to get Draisaitl and the Flames ended up with Bennett? If the Flames had a fantastic rebuild in place we'd have the following players:

Monahan, Gaudreau, Draisaitl, either McDavid/Eichel, Tkachuk. Flames are getting 60% of what they should be getting. Lucky Feister took a huge leap of faith and drafted Jankowski, who's coming around and is looking way better as a center than Bennett.

I think if the Flames make the playoffs and Bennett shows up, Treliving needs to pull the trigger on him on or before the next draft to try and get a second round pick if even that. It'll be great if Bennett gets unloaded at the trade deadline, along with Brouwer and Stajan.

Clearly must be trolling because this is one of the worst takes I've seen yet on Bennett, the oilers or drafting

[Jeff Lebowski]

Originally Posted by FireGilbert

He believes Bennett had his development stunted due to lack of ice time and bad line mates.

I'm in this camp. He needed skilled linemates and the team did not supply them at the beginning of his career. He was rarely on the PP (even the second unit) where a player can get those touches to feel the puck and make some plays.

The Flames traded away first round picks in years where they could've added dynamic forwards to play with Bennett. Like Monahan he needed his own Gaudreau - a dynamic player to develop chemistry with.

I think there is a lot more in Bennett and it will come for him. Early on though the team dropped the ball with his development.

[Love]

Originally Posted by CSharp

Flash Walken's avatar says it all. How the hell did the Flames let the Oilers slip past them in the standings to get Draisaitl and the Flames ended up with Bennett? If the Flames had a fantastic rebuild in place we'd have the following players:

Monahan, Gaudreau, Draisaitl, either McDavid/Eichel, Tkachuk. Flames are getting 60% of what they should be getting. Lucky Feister took a huge leap of faith and drafted Jankowski, who's coming around and is looking way better as a center than Bennett.

I think if the Flames make the playoffs and Bennett shows up, Treliving needs to pull the trigger on him on or before the next draft to try and get a second round pick if even that. It'll be great if Bennett gets unloaded at the trade deadline, along with Brouwer and Stajan.

The McEichel thing is just a pipe dream, but Draisaitl would have been nice. I really wanted him in 2014 but I was content with any of the big 4 or even Dal Colle (yikes) or Ehlers. I had them ranked Drai / Bennett / Ekblad / Reinhart so naturally I was still ecstatic when we got our Sam. It’s just weird how his career trajectory has gone. He was a superstar in junior and even after his shoulder injury he obliterated the O and then looked like a future star in the NHL playoffs. He had a pretty good rookie season too and then just all went off the rails once Gulutzen came in. Not that i’m trying to attribute Sam’s lack of progress to GG, but he hasn’t been the same player since Hartley left.

[Monahammer]

The reason I don't buy the bad linemates thing is that it doesn't apply to most other successful rookies ever. Debrincat was producing in the bottom six so well that he was bumped up the lineup. Why can't Bennett produce against other teams bottom pairs?

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

The reason I don't buy the bad linemates thing is that it doesn't apply to most other successful rookies ever. Debrincat was producing in the bottom six so well that he was bumped up the lineup. Why can't Bennett produce against other teams bottom pairs?

So the outlier defines the norm? That’s not how that works.

Also, Debrincat has 7 PPP. He’s also shooting 16.1%, so we’ll see where that settles.

Also,

25.3% - Debrincat/Duclair/Toews
23.3% - Debrincat/Saad/Toews
21.2% - Debrincat/Hartman/Sharp
18.1% - Debrincat/Anisimov/Sharp
12.1% - Debrincat/Kampf/Sharp

[H2SO4(aq)]

Originally Posted by CSharp

Flash Walken's avatar says it all. How the hell did the Flames let the Oilers slip past them in the standings to get Draisaitl and the Flames ended up with Bennett? If the Flames had a fantastic rebuild in place we'd have the following players:

Monahan, Gaudreau, Draisaitl, either McDavid/Eichel, Tkachuk. Flames are getting 60% of what they should be getting. Lucky Feister took a huge leap of faith and drafted Jankowski, who's coming around and is looking way better as a center than Bennett.

I think if the Flames make the playoffs and Bennett shows up, Treliving needs to pull the trigger on him on or before the next draft to try and get a second round pick if even that. It'll be great if Bennett gets unloaded at the trade deadline, along with Brouwer and Stajan.

This leads to the kind of mentality you have up in Edmonton. Losing breeds more losing

[Badgers Nose]

He’s either a bust and gets you nothing or he pans out and becomes an important Flame.

I don’t think there are many gamblers out there who will over pay to have him. So you let him figure it out or he washes out.

IMO there was never a scenario where they could have got anything great for him. Everyone else sees what we do.

[RoughRiderRowdy]

He does not have the hockey IQ to be a relevant player in this league. You cant teach hockey smarts and he has none of it

[Beninho]

Originally Posted by CSharp

Flash Walken's avatar says it all. How the hell did the Flames let the Oilers slip past them in the standings to get Draisaitl and the Flames ended up with Bennett? If the Flames had a fantastic rebuild in place we'd have the following players:

Monahan, Gaudreau, Draisaitl, either McDavid/Eichel, Tkachuk. Flames are getting 60% of what they should be getting. Lucky Feister took a huge leap of faith and drafted Jankowski, who's coming around and is looking way better as a center than Bennett.

I think if the Flames make the playoffs and Bennett shows up, Treliving needs to pull the trigger on him on or before the next draft to try and get a second round pick if even that. It'll be great if Bennett gets unloaded at the trade deadline, along with Brouwer and Stajan.

This is skewed thinking, if the Flames would’ve drafted Draisaitl or someone else that has produced at a much better rate then Bennett the Flames probably aren’t in a position to draft Tkachuk in 2016. If the Flames would’ve sucked in 2014 and not made the playoffs they probably were still gonna be too good to out suck or out luck the Oilers. Even when the Flames were beginning a rebuild in 2013 the Oilers and their 3 first overall picks still sucked more for them to get the third pick. That’s how pathetic that organization is. Yes it would be awesome if they would’ve picked let’s say a Pastrnak Nylander, or Ehlers, but they got Tkachuk and he’s awesome. Beggars can’t be chosers unless your the Oilers and get first overalls handed to them.

[SportsJunky]

I want the Flames to pick up a top 6 winger and move Ferland on to a line with Bennett.

[EVERLAST]

Not so long ago 2 young players who weren't confident, may have had issues with drinking ? Partying? Were sent packing from the Boston Bruins.

These 2 players are pretty good players now and still haven't reached their full potential as I see it.

So, could Sam Bennett end up like Tyler Seguin, Doug Hamilton ??? Probobly not eh.....yeah just get rid of Sam ...,what a waste of time.

��

[Mr.Coffee]

The decision to sell on Bennett was a year ago or more, when the Flames didn't want to take the risk of holding onto an asset that was starting to show serious signs of not developing into what the Flames were hoping for. In fact I recall a thread a year ago or more where this very question was being debated, and of course it seemed like to me at the time that the majority of posters wanted to hang on. Well, nothing's guaranteed.

The Flames have definitely held on too long with Bennett and should have traded him, but not now. Before. Now is too late. Now the Flames aren't getting what they invested into him (4th overall selection).

No, now you hang on, and hope the asset can eventually get to a serviceable player (which by the way, has a very low probability of happening) but today? Today he's a borderline fringe NHLer. I also don't think he puts forth the effort required game in and game out that he could.

I may not have been more disappointed in any Flames prospect in the organization's history. He was the highest selected, had the highest potential (seemingly), and he's been (being?) ruined by Gulutzan.

[SportsJunky]

Ha. It’s Glen Gulutzan’s fault.

[bubbsy]

Originally Posted by VilleN

Isn't that the exact same thing you proposed before? I think the point is that it wouldn't be smart to mess with what Tkachuk has got going on right now, just to see if Bennett can get it going.

Yes it was the same but a different rationale. I think it's worth 'investing' in Bennett and his progression. Even if that means spoon feeding him top 6 linemates.

Tkachuk is good enough already to help drive a line. His cycling and board play could work well with Jankowski