GDT: BOA IV Oilers at Flames 8PM MT: Judgement Day

[OvermanKingGainer]

The irony is that Bennett's lack of production has very little to do with playing centre and a lot to do with other factors that carefully watching reveal. The only issue he is having at centre is he hasn't been great on draws... which is not really an issue because draws are pretty meaningless.

 

[Kanye]

The irony is that Bennett's lack of production has very little to do with playing centre and a lot to do with other factors that carefully watching reveal. The only issue he is having at centre is he hasn't been great on draws... which is not really an issue because draws are pretty meaningless.

Winning a faceoff is meaningless?

 

[OvermanKingGainer]

Winning a faceoff is meaningless?

Do tell me what our best all-situation centre's FO% is and what Bennett's FO% is.

 

[Volica]

I threw up in my mouth by goal 5, and spent the night in with my girlfriend watching a movie. Brutal effort, everyone. No one gets a pass for that performance.

This team isn't good enough and we're not lucky enough to have an ultra talent fall into our laps.

 

[Mr Snrub]

Bennett is definitely a better centre than wing imo

 

[Lunatik]

I am typing this as I calculate numbers so I have no idea what this will turn up, but I suspect it will back up what those of us are saying and show Bennett is better as a winger. I am looking at all of Bennett's games this season and last season (125 games), any game in which he took 5 faceoffs or less will be considered a winger game, any game in which he took 6 faceoffs or more will be considered a center game. Seems like a fair cutoff, not perfect but fair.

Games which Bennett took 6 or more faceoffs:

| GP | G | G/GP | G/82 | A | A/GP | A/82 | P | P/GP | P/82 | +/- | HITS | H/GP | H/82 | GVA | GVA/GP | GVA/82 | TKA | TKA/GP | TKA/82 | S | S/GP | S/82 | S%
2015-16 | 28 | 5 | 0.18 | 14.64 | 8 | 0.29 | 23.43 | 13 | 0.46 | 38.07 | -12 | 30 | 1.07 | 87.86 | 8 | 0.29 | 23.43 | 12 | 0.43 | 35.14 | 47 | 1.68 | 137.64 | 10.638%
2016-17 | 35 | 7 | 0.20 | 16.40 | 5 | 0.14 | 11.71 | 12 | 0.34 | 28.11 | -10 | 66 | 1.89 | 154.63 | 11 | 0.31 | 25.77 | 17 | 0.49 | 39.83 | 56 | 1.60 | 131.20 | 12.500%
Total | 63 | 12 | 0.19 | 15.62 | 13 | 0.21 | 16.92 | 25 | 0.40 | 32.54 | -22 | 96 | 1.52 | 124.95 | 19 | 0.30 | 24.73 | 29 | 0.46 | 37.75 | 103 | 1.63 | 134.06 | 11.650%

Games which Bennett took 5 or fewer faceoffs:

| GP | G | G/GP | G/82 | A | A/GP | A/82 | P | P/GP | P/82 | +/- | HITS | H/GP | H/82 | GVA | GVA/GP | GVA/82 | TKA | TKA/GP | TKA/82 | S | S/GP | S/82 | S%
2015-16 | 49 | 13 | 0.27 | 21.76 | 10 | 0.20 | 16.73 | 23 | 0.47 | 38.49 | 1 | 80 | 1.63 | 133.88 | 19 | 0.39 | 31.80 | 22 | 0.45 | 36.82 | 89 | 1.82 | 148.94 | 14.607%
2016-17 | 13 | 2 | 0.15 | 12.62 | 4 | 0.31 | 25.23 | 6 | 0.46 | 37.85 | 0 | 18 | 1.38 | 113.54 | 4 | 0.31 | 25.23 | 9 | 0.69 | 56.77 | 23 | 1.77 | 145.08 | 8.696%
Total | 62 | 15 | 0.24 | 19.84 | 14 | 0.23 | 18.52 | 29 | 0.47 | 38.35 | 1 | 98 | 1.58 | 129.61 | 23 | 0.37 | 30.42 | 31 | 0.50 | 41.00 | 112 | 1.81 | 148.13 | 13.393%

I like how it worked out to 63 games vs 62 games.

Bennett has better number on the wing than at center, for the most part it is just a little better, but the part that really tips it in favor of him being on the wing is that the vast majority of his winger games were as a rookie and when Bennett as a rookie winger is better than Bennett as a sophomore centre, it really verifies what most people are saying about Bennett and him playing better on the wing. The biggest surprise to me was the +/- difference between center and wing.

 

[Lunatik]

Bennett is definitely a better centre than wing imo

your opinion is wrong.

 

[blupye*]

Can we accept that bennett's not a good centre now?
Try him on the wing or make a hockey trade a la Ryan Johansen

It wasn't that long ago Flame fans were laughing at Oiler fans for taking Draisaitl over Bennett. Who would you rather have now?

 

[Janks]

your opinion is wrong.

Agreed here. Bennett should play wing. Once he finds his game more, we can try him at C again - but I think he is much better at wing. Allows him to aggressively fore-check and not worry about coming back as much (which I think is holding him back).

 

[Janks]

It wasn't that long ago Flame fans were laughing at Oiler fans for taking Draisaitl over Bennett. Who would you rather have now?

I don't think many were laughing over Drai vs Sam. Drai has always looked more dynamic than Bennett. I'm still happy with our Sam selection, but you'd be crazy to think we wouldn't take either kid. They both have solid futures.

 

[Volica]

It wasn't that long ago Flame fans were laughing at Oiler fans for taking Draisaitl over Bennett. Who would you rather have now?

LoL, mental backflips here.

Everyone knew Edmonton was going to take Draisaitl. The separation between the Sam's and Leon was negligible at the draft. I don't remember any Flames fan laughing at selecting Leon.

 

[King In The North]

It wasn't that long ago Flame fans were laughing at Oiler fans for taking Draisaitl over Bennett. Who would you rather have now?

LOL show me where anyone laughed at this.

These kids are 20 years old. Bennett's 2nd season. Chill tf out.

 

[InfinityIggy]

It wasn't that long ago Flame fans were laughing at Oiler fans for taking Draisaitl over Bennett. Who would you rather have now?

Do you have any proof of this?

 

[Lunatik]

Do you have any proof of this?

When Bennett had a strong playoff in his draft+1 season and Drai was in the WHL, some idiots surely ran their mouths.

 

[Ynnek]

It wasn't that long ago Flame fans were laughing at Oiler fans for taking Draisaitl over Bennett. Who would you rather have now?

I'd be happy with either. What type of production is Draisaitl putting up when playing center and not on McDavid's wing? Just curious as a comparable to Sam at center.

 

[Ace Rimmer]

I think more people were laughing about how Draisaitl's first year was handled, in regards to his ELC and future RFA status.

 

[Mr Snrub]

I am typing this as I calculate numbers so I have no idea what this will turn up, but I suspect it will back up what those of us are saying and show Bennett is better as a winger. I am looking at all of Bennett's games this season and last season (125 games), any game in which he took 5 faceoffs or less will be considered a winger game, any game in which he took 6 faceoffs or more will be considered a center game. Seems like a fair cutoff, not perfect but fair.

Games which Bennett took 6 or more faceoffs:

| GP | G | G/GP | G/82 | A | A/GP | A/82 | P | P/GP | P/82 | +/- | HITS | H/GP | H/82 | GVA | GVA/GP | GVA/82 | TKA | TKA/GP | TKA/82 | S | S/GP | S/82 | S%
2015-16 | 28 | 5 | 0.18 | 14.64 | 8 | 0.29 | 23.43 | 13 | 0.46 | 38.07 | -12 | 30 | 1.07 | 87.86 | 8 | 0.29 | 23.43 | 12 | 0.43 | 35.14 | 47 | 1.68 | 137.64 | 10.638%
2016-17 | 35 | 7 | 0.20 | 16.40 | 5 | 0.14 | 11.71 | 12 | 0.34 | 28.11 | -10 | 66 | 1.89 | 154.63 | 11 | 0.31 | 25.77 | 17 | 0.49 | 39.83 | 56 | 1.60 | 131.20 | 12.500%
Total | 63 | 12 | 0.19 | 15.62 | 13 | 0.21 | 16.92 | 25 | 0.40 | 32.54 | -22 | 96 | 1.52 | 124.95 | 19 | 0.30 | 24.73 | 29 | 0.46 | 37.75 | 103 | 1.63 | 134.06 | 11.650%

Games which Bennett took 5 or fewer faceoffs:

| GP | G | G/GP | G/82 | A | A/GP | A/82 | P | P/GP | P/82 | +/- | HITS | H/GP | H/82 | GVA | GVA/GP | GVA/82 | TKA | TKA/GP | TKA/82 | S | S/GP | S/82 | S%
2015-16 | 49 | 13 | 0.27 | 21.76 | 10 | 0.20 | 16.73 | 23 | 0.47 | 38.49 | 1 | 80 | 1.63 | 133.88 | 19 | 0.39 | 31.80 | 22 | 0.45 | 36.82 | 89 | 1.82 | 148.94 | 14.607%
2016-17 | 13 | 2 | 0.15 | 12.62 | 4 | 0.31 | 25.23 | 6 | 0.46 | 37.85 | 0 | 18 | 1.38 | 113.54 | 4 | 0.31 | 25.23 | 9 | 0.69 | 56.77 | 23 | 1.77 | 145.08 | 8.696%
Total | 62 | 15 | 0.24 | 19.84 | 14 | 0.23 | 18.52 | 29 | 0.47 | 38.35 | 1 | 98 | 1.58 | 129.61 | 23 | 0.37 | 30.42 | 31 | 0.50 | 41.00 | 112 | 1.81 | 148.13 | 13.393%

I like how it worked out to 63 games vs 62 games.

Bennett has better number on the wing than at center, for the most part it is just a little better, but the part that really tips it in favor of him being on the wing is that the vast majority of his winger games were as a rookie and when Bennett as a rookie winger is better than Bennett as a sophomore centre, it really verifies what most people are saying about Bennett and him playing better on the wing. The biggest surprise to me was the +/- difference between center and wing.

To my eye he had consistently looked more confident on the wing/a more regularly impactful player. But those numbers are pretty interesting. Next time he gets tried at wing I'll want to keep an eye on his game and see what the differences are. Maybe he just looked like trash at wing this year because the whole team was playing like trash.