Dreger: Sam Bennett and Flames contract rumors [MOD WARNING: 235]

[StuckOutHere]

I would love to know what Bennett is looking for in a long/mid-term deal and how out of touch with reality it is.

 

[DJJones]

His totals are basically the same as 20 year old Stajan.

He's better than 30 year old Stajan haha. Try watching a game.

 

[Aerchon]

A page with many saying Bennett is much better than his stats suggest and yet many Flames fans also think he is only going to get 1.5 to 2.5 mill per year on a bridge deal.

Those two things do not add up.

 

[DJJones]

A page with many saying Bennett is much better than his stats suggest and yet many Flames fans also think he is only going to get 1.5 to 2.5 mill per year on a bridge deal.

Those two things do not add up.

You don't pay for potential. And you don't pay for solid bottom 6 RFAs.

 

[Some Other Flame]

And Bennett may very well become a permanent fixture on the wing in Calgary. Potential is something he still has but he's not been playing up to it at centre and unsurprisingly has looked better on the wing. Jankowski may very well supplant Bennett as early as this preseason at 3C and Bennett isn't likely stealing the 1C or 2C positions.
The question remains whether a player like Athanasiou is a better winger than Bennett is.

It's time Calgary fans (and coaches) begin exploring the very real possibility that Bennett may not be an amazing pivot in the NHL but could still be a fantastic winger.

Happy to be wrong but all options should be looked at objectively at this point. Bennett is only 20-21, he has time to develop yet, but if you want the best performance out of him he might be considered a winger instead.

Think fans like yourself would be better served by getting over yourselves and accepting that Bennett will be a center for the Calgary Flames. Honestly, Treliving, Guluztan have repeatedly said they're taking the long road and developing Bennett to be a quality center. Get. Over. It.

Instead of constantly whining about Bennett being a winger, accept that it's no longer 1990 and that depth is actually important in the modern NHL. You can't load up a top six while stuffing the bottom with junk like Brouwer and Stajan.

Stanley Cup teams in today's game are 3 lines deep if not 4. The Flames kind of need Bennett to pan out at center or they're the ones in trouble.

And Bennett at 21 is done as an NHL center but Jankowski at 23 is the future. The delusion of some Flames fan over Jankowski and Bennett is absolutely hilarious.

 

[Deen]

He's better than 30 year old Stajan haha. Try watching a game.

The only thing Bennett is better at is taking penalties. We call it the Bennalty box for a reason. Stajan is at least efficient.

 

[blankall]

A few things here;

1. Bennett won't return a #1 RW, especially one thats 22-24 years old. We'd be getting a middle 6 guy that might be a #1 eventually.
2. Bennett isn't cost controlled. In fact, right now it's the exact opposite.



I'd pass. If Bennett is dealt, I'd want to acquire something that fixes a weakness. Another 3rd line C/LW isn't what the Flames need.

Bennett is most certainly cost controlled. You don't think he'll get less than a UFA Turris?

I agree that Bennett won't bring us back the RW we need right now though, which is why we shouldn't sell low on him.

 

[deckercky]

A page with many saying Bennett is much better than his stats suggest and yet many Flames fans also think he is only going to get 1.5 to 2.5 mill per year on a bridge deal.

Those two things do not add up.

On stats alone, he's not earning $2.5M AAV for RFA years.

 

[DJJones]

The only thing Bennett is better at is taking penalties. We call it the Bennalty box for a reason. Stajan is at least efficient.

No one calls it that.

 

[1989]

Not sure why people don't get this. Everyone looks good on Backlunds wing and everyone looked like **** on Brouwers line.

Comparing the two versions of Bennett without adjusting expectations is ridiculous.

And jesus, Jankowski hasn't played an NHL game yet.

Yes he has. Only one, but he has.

Neither had Tkachuk or Monahan in their rookie seasons but they acclimated quickly enough. Jankowski has had more than an adequate development curve and time spent in the NCAA and AHL. He has shown real promise to be a solid and consistent player, even if he's not a star.

Yes, playing on Backlund's wing is far better than dragging Brouwer's corpse around the ice. But we just haven't seen the consistency thus far when he has to centee his own line and it's about maximizing a player's skillset. If someone told me Dominik Hasek was legitimately a better winger than goaltender, I'd move Hasek to the wing.

 

[wintersej]

Trade him and adam fox for pasternak

Fat chance.

 

[DJJones]

Yes he has. Only one, but he has.

Neither had Tkachuk or Monahan in their rookie seasons but they acclimated quickly enough. Jankowski has had more than an adequate development curve and time spent in the NCAA and AHL. He has shown real promise to be a solid and consistent player, even if he's not a star.

Yes, playing on Backlund's wing is far better than dragging Brouwer's corpse around the ice. But we just haven't seen the consistency thus far when he has to centee his own line and it's about maximizing a player's skillset. If someone told me Dominik Hasek was legitimately a better winger than goaltender, I'd move Hasek to the wing.

Monahan got 24 ES points on the third line, I think he got moved up half way through as well. I just remember he was with Hudler for a good portion. My memories **** though

And Monahan has a ten times better shot than Bennett but otherwise Bennett was more well rounded than Monahan as a rookie

 

[1989]

Think fans like yourself would be better served by getting over yourselves and accepting that Bennett will be a center for the Calgary Flames. Honestly, Treliving, Guluztan have repeatedly said they're taking the long road and developing Bennett to be a quality center. Get. Over. It.

Instead of constantly whining about Bennett being a winger, accept that it's no longer 1990 and that depth is actually important in the modern NHL. You can't load up a top six while stuffing the bottom with junk like Brouwer and Stajan.

Stanley Cup teams in today's game are 3 lines deep if not 4. The Flames kind of need Bennett to pan out at center or they're the ones in trouble.

And Bennett at 21 is done as an NHL center but Jankowski at 23 is the future. The delusion of some Flames fan over Jankowski and Bennett is absolutely hilarious.

I invite you to browse my post history where I have "constantly whined about Bennett being a winger". Go ahead, I've got all week. Bennett simply is not (yet) the player you think he is.

Don't live and die by what your expectations are, versus what the reality is becoming.
If Bennett stays at centre he simply has fewer chances to produce due to the commitment of the 1C and 2C spots. The Flames just don't have the depth you're wishing for to give him the linemates he needs at 3C. Backlund and Monahan would have to drop off severely for Bennett to jump up in the lineups and even then he hasn't been a guarantee with other linemates with limited looks.

Jankowski is not a guaranteed centre either (although he's pretty much a guaranteed NHLer) but Calgary has spent considerably more time and resources developing him at centre than Bennett has received so far, even though they're in different leagues. Exploring and adapting to all possibilities is a far better methodology. Bennet could still be a centre but I wouldn't be surprised to see him at wing for more games this season.

 

[NeutralFan88]

anything over 2 million is overpaying him. Done nothing yet at all.

 

[1989]

Monahan got 24 ES points on the third line, I think he got moved up half way through as well. I just remember he was with Hudler for a good portion. My memories **** though

And Monahan has a ten times better shot than Bennett but otherwise Bennett was more well rounded than Monahan as a rookie

But that's exactly my point. Yes, Monahan has had an easier time transitioning, and he owns the 1C role for now. He's had the benefit of better linemates for the majority of his early tenure, which undoubtedly helps. Regardless, he has shown production and a certain level of consistency with limited minutes and sheltered deployment which can't be said about Bennett.

Bennett has gotten the short stick. But he still has only shown flashes, and flashes get you middle-6 money. Consistency is the difference. Transitioning potential into consistency is what all of us Flames fans are waiting for him to do, but I am just more accepting to believe that he might do it at wing instead with higher success. And agaib, if he can pull it together with a 50+ point campaign at centre I'd love that to happen, but it really just may never materialize.

 

[blankall]

If you're trading Bennett for Turris, that's a win, flat out, for the Flames.

If I'm the Flames, I try to trade Bennett for Athanasiou + from the Wings.

Turris really doesn't address any of our needs or make us a better team. He also potentially walks in a year. I don't see how that's a win. I also don't see Ottawa recovering an asset like Bennett if they don't want or can't keep Turris. Sure Turris is the better player right now, but he's also soon to be a UFA.

 

[Flameshomer]

[MOD]

This is very clearly posturing by Bennett's agent. Dreger even recanted it later as (more than likely) Bennett told his agent to cut the crap.

 

[Aerchon]

On stats alone, he's not earning $2.5M AAV for RFA years.

Earning and getting are two completely different things and players always get paid a bit for potential. Especially ones with Bennett's previous hype level.

He comes in at 2.5 or less Tre did a damn good job.

One year 2.75 would be the lowest I think Bennet will sign for. Not going to lose any sleep if I am wrong tho.

 

[Xoggz22]

I don't get why fans say this . I am sure it a buff but a player that is not under contract has tons of leverage . He can go oversea and play and nothing you can do about it . GM,s also have to be careful you really don't want to **** a young player off that has potential . I think it is the reason Chia over paid Draisaitl . He keeps the team united and the young studs happy

He can certainly do that. Unfortunately he doesn't add years of service to his situation so when he's ready to come back he's in the same position as when he left - no leverage.

Calgary is also in a position to say "OK, take your 26 pts and go play overseas. We can cover that and continue to grow". He has very little leverage at this stage and the comparables put him at approximately $2M per over 2 years.

 

[OvermanKingGainer]

Yes he has. Only one, but he has.

Neither had Tkachuk or Monahan in their rookie seasons but they acclimated quickly enough. Jankowski has had more than an adequate development curve and time spent in the NCAA and AHL. He has shown real promise to be a solid and consistent player, even if he's not a star.

Yes, playing on Backlund's wing is far better than dragging Brouwer's corpse around the ice. But we just haven't seen the consistency thus far when he has to centee his own line and it's about maximizing a player's skillset.

Where was that """consistency""" when Bennett was on Monahan's wing last year? Or Granlund's wing the year before?

Seriously, these are line combos I've seen Bennett on:

Bennett-Backlund-Colborne - A good line
Raymond-Bennett-Frolik - I kid you not, Looked Good
Gaudreau-Bennett-Frolik - Looked ****ing amazing as a unit
Gaudreau-Bennett-Jooris - Looked good as a unit
Bennett-Backlund-Frolik - Obviously the best line Bennett's been on.
Bennett-Granlund-Hudler - Looked ****ing awful as a unit
Bennett-Backlund-Hudler - Only together for like half a game, Bennett scored 4 goals
Ferland-Bennett-Colborne - Looked okay as a unit
Ferland-Bennett-Brouwer - Looked good as a unit
Bennett-Stajan-Chiasson - Looked okay as a unit
Bennett-Monahan-Brouwer - Looked awful as a unit
Tkachuk-Bennett-Brouwer - Looked good but Brouwer still sucked
Versteeg-Bennett-Brouwer - Looked awful as a unit
Versteeg-Bennett-Chiasson - Looked great but Chiasson still a weak link
Gaudreau-Bennett-Chiasson - Looked good

That's really it. I can't think of many more offhand. But I never saw this "Bennett plays better at wing" nonsense.

 

[HOPE]

alright lets just get this over with!

gallagher + 1st for bennett!

 

[DFF]

alright lets just get this over with!

gallagher + 1st for bennett!

Probably fair value but I dont think the Flames is ready to give up on Bennett yet. Just too risky to deal him now

 

[Jihadi Flames Fan]

I'd be comfortable signing him to a 2 year, $5 million contract ($2.5 x 2) or 3 year, $10 million contract ($3 + $3.5 +$3.5).

 

[rhinoshawarma]

Really? He hasn't cracked 40 pts and he's playing hardball?

 

[HOPE]

Really? He hasn't cracked 30 pts and he's playing hardball?

he did crack 36pts, just not this season