Player Discussion Jamie Benn - 2014-2015 Art Ross Trophy Winner

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Jan 9, 2007
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All good points Alistar. I should have prefaced my post by saying I wasn't so much directing my energy toward arguing with you (I think we more or less agree on this particular player) as much as taking some issue with the general concept of basing too much of one's conclusions on statistical analysis rather than visual observation and gut reaction to said observation. Your post just got me thinking.

I love baseball and while I don't pour over stats in that sport either I do appreciate that baseball and hockey are quite different in regards to the efficiency with which one can break baseball down to a series of simply measurable instances relative to hockey. Hockey is just so damn dynamic that to attempt to break it down to that same level (just talking generally, not you specifically) is futile.

So yeah, one can say that for instance when the puck leaves Benn's stick he has no direct influence on events involving the puck until it's back on his stick but that one little word - direct - really bothers me because at that point you start to get away from directly observable actions and into a philosophical discussion about the net difference of a direct or indirect influence.
 

LT

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Jul 23, 2010
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I'm so friggin' lost reading all this.

Although I never really got to see Modano in his hayday, everything I've seen seems to be him just pacing the game ridiculously. A rabbit in a mile race, forcing everyone to skate that much harder. Benn, on the other hand, has that ability as well, but not as prevelant (partly because of the speed now, and he just doesn't seem as fast as Modano was), but he can slow it down just as well. It's almost like Ovechkin vs. Malkin, or even Yakupov vs. Grigorenko.

Modano was exactly what we needed. Someone you came to see play. To see him dominate, to score. Perfect for that time. Benn is what we need to help us get back to that dominance.

They just aren't very comparable. Unique situations, unique players.
 

eartotheground

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Jul 7, 2006
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So yeah, one can say that for instance when the puck leaves Benn's stick he has no direct influence on events involving the puck until it's back on his stick but that one little word - direct - really bothers me because at that point you start to get away from directly observable actions and into a philosophical discussion about the net difference of a direct or indirect influence.

exactly what struck me from allistar's post.
 

ElGuapo

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Nov 30, 2010
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I'd do Kadri for Morrow but Toronto might not. I'd also do Morrow for Colborne. Or in a package to get Luke Schenn. I think top pairing dman is a higher priority than a scorer because it will be harder to find. A top six forward WILL be had by next season as long as they are willing, which I'm sure they will be. Stars are loaded with 2nd-3rd pairing D, and managing to find a potential legit #1-2 D isn't so easy. Suter would fit the bill but probably a long shot to convince him to come to Dallas.

As for Benn and Modano, I always did like Modano of course, he was a great player. But he was never my favorite, as Benn is. The only other favorite player I've ever had in sports was Vince Young at Texas, I rarely get enamored with any one player on my favorite teams. Think Modano was a hair overrated. Not sure overrated is the right word because I don't want to diminish his accomplishments...But I do think Benn is going to be a better player.
 

Arpi3080

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Aug 12, 2011
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What do think about the SH icetime per game of Jamie?

Last year he had 1.37 TOI/G - 4 goals and now 0.42 TOI/G 1 goal.

Should Glen increase his SH icetime or save Jamie's energy?
 

Jere26

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Jul 12, 2011
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As someone pointed out earlier in another thread, Gulutzan should increase Benn's icetime in every aspect. He's not averaging much more compared to previous seasons.
 

CRSeven

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Jan 13, 2011
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It's not like he's a bad PKer. IMO he's actually one of our better players at PKing.

I guess Gully is just trying to keep him rested.
 
Jan 9, 2007
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Of course Benn should see more PK time. He is one of the team's better penalty killers but more than that I always got the impression that when you have a star player who can play all situations you play him in all situations. Just my impression from the outside looking in but it seems to give those guys more ownership of the situation. Modano killed penalties for the betterment of the team and so should Benn.

While we're on the topic of ice time, Benn should also be on the 1st PP unit too. He should be playing more than he is right now, period.
 

Bennrocks

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Of course Benn should see more PK time. He is one of the team's better penalty killers but more than that I always got the impression that when you have a star player who can play all situations you play him in all situations. Just my impression from the outside looking in but it seems to give those guys more ownership of the situation. Modano killed penalties for the betterment of the team and so should Benn.

While we're on the topic of ice time, Benn should also be on the 1st PP unit too. He should be playing more than he is right now, period.

The PP seems to be ribs pp at the moment, it seems to be working somewhat as of late.. He has his 2 point men in goose and Robi his rh shot in Ryder amd his screen/high tip in loui, if it keeps working I don't see the problem.

However I would like to see Benn with loui on the pk that combo would work very well defensively and the opposing team would have to respect the firepower of those two
 

piqued

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Nov 22, 2006
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Yeah, we've lost that dangerous shorthanded scoring threat Benn provided last year. Opposing point men don't have to be quite as wary.
 

Ambassador Of Fun

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Jun 23, 2010
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Yeah, we've lost that dangerous shorthanded scoring threat Benn provided last year. Opposing point men don't have to be quite as wary.

Strategery. We will unleash him the last 20 games of the year and the opposing PP d-men won't know what hit them.
 
Jan 9, 2007
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The PP seems to be ribs pp at the moment, it seems to be working somewhat as of late.. He has his 2 point men in goose and Robi his rh shot in Ryder amd his screen/high tip in loui, if it keeps working I don't see the problem.

However I would like to see Benn with loui on the pk that combo would work very well defensively and the opposing team would have to respect the firepower of those two

I'm just all about building individual players up for the long haul. Frankly, it doesn't have to be one or the other. Benn, Ribeiro, Eriksson, Goligoski, and Larsen should be the 1st PP unit in my eyes and it's not even debatable. Robidas had one shot go in and now he's somehow earned back PP time over a clearly more offensively talented player in Larsen. You load up the 1st PP unit and send out whomever to mop up the last 35 seconds.
 

piqued

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Nov 22, 2006
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Scoring per 60 minutes at 5v5 as of today:

  1. 3.35 - Malkin
  2. 3.20 - Eberle
  3. 3.09 - Stamkos
  4. 2.91 - Benn

Hopefully he can get it up over 3.00 for the stretch run and maybe get him some non 3rd/4th liners to work with.
 

BigG44

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Jul 12, 2007
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Scoring per 60 minutes at 5v5 as of today:

  1. 3.35 - Malkin
  2. 3.20 - Eberle
  3. 3.09 - Stamkos
  4. 2.91 - Benn

Hopefully he can get it up over 3.00 for the stretch run and maybe get him some non 3rd/4th liners to work with.

I get the logic in not messing with Eriksson-Ribs-Ryder, and I thought that might be the best thing to do.

However, I think it might be more important to have 2 Top pairs. Benn-Eriksson and Ribeiro-Ryder would give Dallas the best spread of talent. As long as Ryder keeps playing like he has the last 16 games, I think he and Ribeiro could carry a line without Eriksson. Eriksson would actually give Benn a greater chance to finish plays rather than him doing it on his own. I think I've honestly underrated Eriksson's playmaking so I'd like to see them get back together.

If Dallas makes the playoffs, I don't know that they'll survive with 1 great line (Eriksson-Ribeiro-Benn) and then Benn virtually on his own. They might as well make the change now. Plus, based on SJ's games in hand and Dallas catching Chicago, Dallas could easily face SJ in the first round as the 3rd or 6th seed.

I don't think that Fiddler's line has really proven to be effective at all against Thornton. Ott-Benn-Eriksson might be a good option to throw them off their game and possibly contain them.

Morrow and Ott could just fill in on either line.
 

RTstars11

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Jan 30, 2011
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We've tried Benn and Eriksson together before. It worked for a little bit but mostly Eriksson just seemed invisible when paired with Benn. Not a fan.

Didn't they both have a pretty lengthy point streak going before that line was broken up? I always thought Loui and Benn looked pretty good together on the ice.
 
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