Guys, talk to me about Bennett.
If, hypothetically, Monahan got injured, Bennett would become a Hart Trophy candidate.
Even if Monahan got hurt, and Bennett panned out, he's still number 2 behind Gaudreau. How you gonna compete for the hart when you're not the best player on your team
Pretty fun game
Flames still had trouble doing anything at 5v5 but they stifled the jets pretty well apart from some incredible individual efforts from Laine and Scheifee
Sign Jagr
It's possible and precedented to have two linemates place top ten in Hart voting. Besides, Bennett > Gaudreau at everything except scoring, and if Monahan got hurt, Bennett would play with Gaudreau (5v5, PP1, 3v3) and the scoring difference wouldn't be significant since Bennett's offensive game is ridiculously good when he plays with talent. The more complete player would have an edge in overall voting too, like Toews did over Kane until Kane won an Art Ross. I mean Getzlaf and Perry both have top Hart finishes. Both Sedins do. MSL and Stamkos.
An 80 point, Top 15 Two-way, Captain-type physical leadership player... that's basically what Bennett is if we weren't stuck on "Sean Monahan! 30 Goalz!" and "You have to earn your way up the glass ceiling" Sam Bennett.
I agree with OKG that Bennett “could” emerge as our top player. He has literally has every tool that you could like, size, blazing speed, physicality, great 2 way play, and yes, elite offensive upside.
Development is funny with players but I’ve watched this game long enough to know that players are far from a finished product at the early stage that Bennett is at. He also plays a far more complex game than Gaudreau (like Tkachuk does) which is a power game while possessing that elite skill, trying to be responsible both ways and playing the position of a C. Gaudreau had 2 more developmental years over Bennett as well.
Now I have no idea what Bennett will end up as because I don’t have a crystal ball, but I do know his ceiling is enormously high.
Guys, talk to me about Bennett.
I think the Flames are a top 5 team this year. Not out of the gates. But I like our team. The Brodie-Hamonic pair is the key imo.
I think the Flames are a top 5 team this year. Not out of the gates. But I like our team. The Brodie-Hamonic pair is the key imo.
If everything goes right then I can see it. But Smith would hve to be a stud, Gio would have to be Norris Gio, Bennett would need to be a low end 1C hidden on the third line, and BroHam would need to rebound from both of their poor seasons last year.
In general I don't think people familiar with middling teams (and the Flames have been middlig for a long time) really appreciate how deep and skilled the top teams are.
If he's a better version of Backlund, then he should easily be able to crush possession numbers, drag Brouwer's useless ass around the ice, and put up half a point per game in 3rd line minutes. Let's see him actually do even one of those things before we anoint him King of the Flames.He looks like a better version of Backlund to me quick skilled and tenacious on the puck both ends of the ice.
Bennett is stronger a better skater and has better offensive tools. We waited from the 2007 draft to 2013-14 (24) for Backlund to break out and last year he was our best forward as a 27 year old.
Bennett will break out this year or next (ahead of Backlund's dev. curve) and within 2 years I won't be surprised if he's our best forward.
I think the Flames are a top 5 team this year. Not out of the gates. But I like our team. The Brodie-Hamonic pair is the key imo.
They really shut down that line, eh?One thing that I found encouraging (from the Winnipeg board) was that the 3M line was matched directly against the Ehlers/Little/Laine and at 5v5 they didn't have a Corsi event until 5 minutes left in the game.
I think the Flames are a top 5 team this year. Not out of the gates. But I like our team. The Brodie-Hamonic pair is the key imo.