Sam Bennett

[The_People1]

19 minutes ago, flames-fan-in-jets-land said:

 To say trading away players to make room for him would have made difference just seems like blind optimisim.

 

Of course hindsight and all that stuff.

 

We will never know what could've happened.  I'm just saying, during a rebuild we still wanted to win right away instead of growing the pieces to win in 3 or 4 years down the road.

[conundrumed]

I think there's the eye test that matches Sutter's comment about NHL pace. The Flames seem like they're skating in mud too often. Bennett was as guilty as the rest. Watching Fla they are high tempo and aggressive, hopefully Bennett can be better playing a consistent elevated paced game. Wanted him to get the Howe Hat Trick.

[travel_dude]

19 minutes ago, conundrumed said:

I think there's the eye test that matches Sutter's comment about NHL pace. The Flames seem like they're skating in mud too often. Bennett was as guilty as the rest. Watching Fla they are high tempo and aggressive, hopefully Bennett can be better playing a consistent elevated paced game. Wanted him to get the Howe Hat Trick.

 

I think that's exactly it.  We can't compete against Ottawa.  We play well (some nights) against the Oilers because we can contain the top line.  The rest of the roster is crap.  We can play well against TOR because they sometimes don't take getting hit very well.  WPG blows us out of the water because they have speed and pace.  The only thing that gives us a chance against them is their D.  MTL is trying to play big and are getting burned.

 

This season it's hard to even tell how we would do against the league.  Probably no better than 500.  That's not fact based, just an estimation on how we can't score a lot of nights and would have trouble with defensive teams. 

[ABC923]

Glad to see Benny excel in a couple games, but we won't know if it was a solid trade until next season. Bennett was always a streaky player, and he struggles to maintain his emotion over long periods. That's why he's great in the playoffs, he can engage every night because it matters. But in the regular season, that's just not the case. So he's on an emotional high right now, don't be surprised if he puts up a point a game for 5 or 10 games before going cold to end the season. The playoffs will come, he'll be fantastic as always, be a ppg, and FLA will think they fleeced us. Then they'll give him a fat contract and scratch their heads next season when he only score 10-15 goals and 25-30 points. I think this trade will ultimately be seen as a win-win though, especially if Florida gets over the hump and wins (something the flames were not going to do with or without Bennett).

[conundrumed]

8 minutes ago, ABC923 said:

Glad to see Benny excel in a couple games, but we won't know if it was a solid trade until next season. Bennett was always a streaky player, and he struggles to maintain his emotion over long periods. That's why he's great in the playoffs, he can engage every night because it matters. But in the regular season, that's just not the case. So he's on an emotional high right now, don't be surprised if he puts up a point a game for 5 or 10 games before going cold to end the season. The playoffs will come, he'll be fantastic as always, be a ppg, and FLA will think they fleeced us. Then they'll give him a fat contract and scratch their heads next season when he only score 10-15 goals and 25-30 points. I think this trade will ultimately be seen as a win-win though, especially if Florida gets over the hump and wins (something the flames were not going to do with or without Bennett).

Certainly agree it's too early. Cheering him on. He needed a change of environment at any rate. It was kinda toxic how he was yo-yo'd around. He got punished for mistakes more than any other Flames 

[cross16]

I think if you want to debate how the Flames developed Bennett, that's fine. I have questions and didn't like all of it but at the end of the day Bennett didn't exactly make the most of all his chances either. You can question why they didn't trade him earlier and perhaps get more (although I'm really skeptical the price would have been higher to be honest), but at the end of the day I think it was clear it wasn't working here. It is very likely that Bennett was either not going to be qualified or lost for nothing in the expansion draft and instead the Flamed turned him into really good value, more than many thought. 

 

To me how he does in Florida has no bearing on what was done on TDL. The Flames made the right decision and it was a good decision, and good trade value, and whatever he does in Florida will not change those circumstances. 

 

Part of the reason I will keep cheering for him. 

[conundrumed]

32 minutes ago, cross16 said:

I think if you want to debate how the Flames developed Bennett, that's fine. I have questions and didn't like all of it but at the end of the day Bennett didn't exactly make the most of all his chances either. You can question why they didn't trade him earlier and perhaps get more (although I'm really skeptical the price would have been higher to be honest), but at the end of the day I think it was clear it wasn't working here. It is very likely that Bennett was either not going to be qualified or lost for nothing in the expansion draft and instead the Flamed turned him into really good value, more than many thought. 

 

To me how he does in Florida has no bearing on what was done on TDL. The Flames made the right decision and it was a good decision, and good trade value, and whatever he does in Florida will not change those circumstances. 

 

Part of the reason I will keep cheering for him. 

I completely agree, my only query, really, was he always the first to be demoted quickly, rather than guide him through making mistakes?

Where others get constant passes.

He got stifled quickly when he made mistakes was always my perception. Not allowed to make mistakes.

[robrob74]

2 hours ago, The_People1 said:

 

Of course hindsight and all that stuff.

 

We will never know what could've happened.  I'm just saying, during a rebuild we still wanted to win right away instead of growing the pieces to win in 3 or 4 years down the road.

 

This is why I say if you're not going to play your player where you want them to play in the long run, it's best to play them in the AHL to keep those skills up.

 

You can't say Bennett didn't have skill when he first arrived. A lot seem to think he just never had it, but at the beginning he was skating around guys while playing with Backlund. They expected him to carry a line the year after and then jumped up and down the lineup. When a goal wasn't scored in one period they'd take him off the line, or sometimes later they'd try two periods and once in awhile a whole game.  To say he was given ample opportunity isn't fully fair. Sure he had some opportunity. 

 

Some compare him to Mangiapane. Mangiapane had a full year with Ryan, similarly how Bennett had a year with Backlund. What happened in both scenarios? They both flourished. Mangiapane then got promoted to Backlund's line and Bennett continued to jump around with players like Brouwer, Jankowski, or Neal and so on, all of whom are borderline NHLers and he was expected to make them better. You can only make players as good as they can be and we all know how good those players are/were. 

[robrob74]

20 minutes ago, conundrumed said:

I completely agree, my only query, really, was he always the first to be demoted quickly, rather than guide him through making mistakes?

Where others get constant passes.

He got stifled quickly when he made mistakes was always my perception. Not allowed to make mistakes.

 

 

I think his usage really spoke to the lack of depth. When trying to get him to play C he had no one to play with. When LW, he had Jankowski and Janks had a half decent year. I think we saw what Bennett could do with line mates that are NHLers when kept with them. Backlund and then Dube/Looch. He might not have fit with Monahan and Gaudreau, but he was also not playing LW with them, nor C. I also think they could have kept him on the line, or tried switching Monahan to RW and things might have been different. But we also know now that Monahan doesn't actually work with Gaudreau anymore, so there is that. 

 

I think there was also a lack of vision not trying him with a line of Tkachuk, Bennett, Lindholm or something, or Gaudreau, Bennett, Dube or something like that, when clearly, Bennett played well as a C last year with Looch and Dube. I thought the very least, go back to that line and stick with it. As soon as they broke that up, I knew he was done. Even if they played as their 4th line, that would have been a great 4th line. 

[The_People1]

1 hour ago, conundrumed said:

I completely agree, my only query, really, was he always the first to be demoted quickly, rather than guide him through making mistakes?

Where others get constant passes.

He got stifled quickly when he made mistakes was always my perception. Not allowed to make mistakes.

 

Didn't he score 4-goals that one game with Gaudreau? ...or was that Jankowski?  Anyways, both guys demoted immediately.  Can't have that BS.  Monahan back with Gaudreau the next game.

[ABC923]

20 minutes ago, The_People1 said:

 

Didn't he score 4-goals that one game with Gaudreau? ...or was that Jankowski?  Anyways, both guys demoted immediately.  Can't have that BS.  Monahan back with Gaudreau the next game.

I think he scored 4 goals playing with Frolik and Backlund.

[robrob74]

1 minute ago, ABC923 said:

I think he scored 4 goals playing with Frolik and Backlund.

 

I think he did, and Jankowski got his with Gaudrau that last game of the year a few years back. 

 

14 goals is still pretty decent rookie output, minus that 4 goal game. It shows that if they had played someone with Benny (consistently), he'd probably produce. 

 

Let's be honest with ourselves here. How many of us played hockey in leagues that are equivalent to our own talent levels (meaning you're not a ringer/we all love those ringers)? When you are jumped around from line to line game in and game out, how consistent can you be? I know I hate when I have different line mates every game. I just can't get into any sort of a groove. Even when playing a position in a game and moved to another line, it can be stifling. I just can't agree that giving someone a game here and there is actually giving someone a chance. How often does a line catch fire the moment you put them together? 

[travel_dude]

28 minutes ago, The_People1 said:

 

Didn't he score 4-goals that one game with Gaudreau? ...or was that Jankowski?  Anyways, both guys demoted immediately.  Can't have that BS.  Monahan back with Gaudreau the next game.

 

Bennett scored 3 on Luongo in that game.

Janko scored in a garbage game with Suban in at the end of the season.

 

Neither player really achieved what they could have here for various reasons.

Janko was always a lesser version of Backlund; defensive C that wasn't that good defensively.

Bennett never was able to hit the net.

 

Simplistic, but both were frustrating to watch.  

[conundrumed]

And Bennett with the opening goal tonight.😂

[robrob74]

29 minutes ago, conundrumed said:

And Bennett with the opening goal tonight.😂

 

 

It's crazy,

 

You see a few additions. Didn't they just claim Gusev off of waivers and he's playing with Barkov and assisted?

 

Bunt's a run in!

[conundrumed]

aaaand Bennett again😂😭😂

[conundrumed]

Sandy Bennett with an assist.

Aaaand Lomberg scores. What a riot.

 

[jjgallow]

8 hours ago, flames-fan-in-jets-land said:

I'll put alot of developmental blame on mgmt and I hope that the same mistakes arent repeated but throughout his career Benny has been very streaky. Maybe the pressure of being 4OA, mismanagement didnt help, or the entire fit in the room but even during the purple gatorade times when everyone was beating personal bests Benny was still just a passenger.  To say trading away players to make room for him would have made difference just seems like blind optimisim.

 

It would have been planning, not optmism, if those trades were half good.   We didn't actually need the NHL's entire supply of Left Wingers all on one team.

 

Trading a left winger or two for Some kind of balance, or Future (preferably both) on this team has been a no-brainer move for 5+ years.

 

Laws of buy high sell low say that the lowest risk move is actually trading away one of your top left wingers (playing close to their ceiling means you're more likely to get fair value).  That is Gaudreau.  Especially when we knew he was totally ineffective in the playoffs.   

 

It doesn't come as a surprise that we traded away one of the only guys who had huge upside and low value.    (Selling low).    But, at least they're starting to acquire picks.   that's a start, even if very poorly done it's better than what I feared they might do.

[pikey7883]

So Benny playing with real line mates is good for him? Hmmmm, who would’ve thought that? 
I remember a time when I said last year he needs to take Backlunds spot with Chucky and Mang, but no, he doesn’t have the skill to play up in the lineup. 
Then last playoffs came and he lit it up with Looch and Dube, as a “grinder line” who kept producing. What have Looch and Dube done this year without Benny?

I heard an interview on NHL network (Sirius) with Bill Lindsay whose close with the panthers. And when he was talking about Sam, he said he was shocked that he couldn’t get it going in Calgary. He said after the first two games he said Sam was pushing the pace on a team that he feels is a very fast up tempo play already. Then he said that he didn’t know he was so physical, “he hits everything”. He said thank you to the flames for their new second line Center.

It was heartbreaking to listen to.

[LouCifer]

Almost had a Hattie tonight too! Damn that paddle on the goal line! Go Benny Go! 

[LouCifer]

3 minutes ago, pikey7883 said:

So Benny playing with real line mates is good for him? Hmmmm, who would’ve thought that? 
I remember a time when I said last year he needs to take Backlunds spot with Chucky and Mang, but no, he doesn’t have the skill to play up in the lineup. 
Then last playoffs came and he lit it up with Looch and Dube, as a “grinder line” who kept producing. What have Looch and Dube done this year without Benny?

I heard an interview on NHL network (Sirius) with Bill Lindsay whose close with the panthers. And when he was talking about Sam, he said he was shocked that he couldn’t get it going in Calgary. He said after the first two games he said Sam was pushing the pace on a team that he feels is a very fast up tempo play already. Then he said that he didn’t know he was so physical, “he hits everything”. He said thank you to the flames for their new second line Center.

It was heartbreaking to listen to.

Hey Pikey, you know I’m a big Bennett fan as well and while I share in the heartbreak, I couldn’t possibly be happier for Benny. He was never going to get a fair shake here, and I’m happy he gets to thrive elsewhere. 👍🏻

[89Again]

Finally good he can prove people wrong.  We should have traded Mikael Backlund.  We need more strong Canadian talent.

[robrob74]

16 minutes ago, 89Again said:

Finally good he can prove people wrong.  We should have traded Mikael Backlund.  We need more strong Canadian talent.

it was kind of what I was saying the last 4 years, if he played with Johnny, he’d be scoring too. Just luck of the draw that Monny came first I guess. 

[jjgallow]

45 minutes ago, robrob74 said:

it was kind of what I was saying the last 4 years, if he played with Johnny, he’d be scoring too. Just luck of the draw that Monny came first I guess. 

 

they literally developed him to be a 3/4 liner.  Which he never was in his life.   He adapted but it was never natural.  Just happened to fit their immediate needs at that time which were apparently more important than the needs of the oraganization over the next 10 years.

[pikey7883]

9 hours ago, lou44291 said:

Hey Pikey, you know I’m a big Bennett fan as well and while I share in the heartbreak, I couldn’t possibly be happier for Benny. He was never going to get a fair shake here, and I’m happy he gets to thrive elsewhere. 👍🏻

Thanks for this, I am happy for him as well and I’m glad he’s showing everyone what his potential is. It is heart breaking that he was never going to get a fair shake here, that doesn’t point to a kid failing his team, that points to a team failing their prospect. I hope someone has to answer why that happened, and figure out how to make sure it doesn’t happen again.