Sam Bennett - most needed change of scenery ever or hot streak?

[Sidney the Kidney]

How many chances did he get to play his natural position with anyone of notable talent?

It was weird because it seemed like whenever he'd get a chance to play prolonged stretches with Gaudreau, he'd do well. But then the coaches would always default back to Monahan and Bennett would be relegated to bottom six again.

 

[HarrySPlinkett]

Bennett is what he is.

You’ll love him in the playoffs, and you’ll think “wow, when this carries over to next year, we’re set!”

And then he won’t.

There’s no failure in development that made Bennett consistently take lazy penalties 180 feet from his own net.

I wish him the best. We got two 2nds, Florida got a player that will help them.

 

[17thRoundPick]

He just needed a hot scenery.

 

[treple13]

A bit of both. Some years he got saddled with the worst of linemates (James Neal AND Jankowski??), but he also never made people better around him like Derek Ryan for example does. His peak play is real good, but for whatever reason he only brings that out in the playoffs. Maybe his hot streak is just an April thing (since that is usually playoffs)?

 

[BB88]

It looks like he really needed a change of scenery and is starting to fulfill his potential. Lord I hope this is the case.

Barkov/Lundell/Bennett down the middle is going to be scary

 

[Some Other Flame]

Bennett is no better than Colborne or Jankowski and Colborne had a better year than Bennett ever did and he was out of the league in 2 years after Calgary, Jankowski will be out in 2 as well.

That's a terrible comparison. Jankowski and Colborne are/were borderline useless when not scoring. Bennett on the other hand, still provides some physical play and other elements that can help a team win even if not putting up huge numbers.

 

[BB88]

Also playing with Hubs is a dream, he’s so .....ng good

 

[Goose]

I like Bennet and hope he succeeds but RoR / Toews is a remarkable stretch.

Florida should be happy if he turns into Tyler Bozak 2.0 in terms of being able to handle first line duties and put up 40-60 points per year.

 

[LeapOnOver]

Just a heads up, usually chances like moving up in the lineup are based on your performance and work in practice, not games. Now I know practice time has steadily decreased in the NHL as time has gone on, but those of you thinking Bennet never got a chance, he for sure did. You just might not have seen it. For whatever reason (coaches stupidity, his own lack of results) he didn't get into games on the top line. He certainly got a chance somewhere, he just dropped the ball by not being able to do what that particular coach wanted at that time.

 

[cowboy82nd]

It’s more of a “Send your average players to Florida and they’ll turn them into superstars” thing than anything

And who are those?

 

[cowboy82nd]

I like Bennet and hope he succeeds but RoR / Toews is a remarkable stretch.

Florida should be happy if he turns into Tyler Bozak 2.0 in terms of being able to handle first line duties and put up 40-60 points per year.

He doesn't need to play on the first line. Barkov is our first line center.

 

[SenzZen]

Glad to see him pull himself up to respectability.

 

[Siignal]

Just a heads up, usually chances like moving up in the lineup are based on your performance and work in practice, not games. Now I know practice time has steadily decreased in the NHL as time has gone on, but those of you thinking Bennet never got a chance, he for sure did. You just might not have seen it. For whatever reason (coaches stupidity, his own lack of results) he didn't get into games on the top line. He certainly got a chance somewhere, he just dropped the ball by not being able to do what that particular coach wanted at that time.

In a certain video game there is a term called Scrimbux because there is a joke about scrimmage results between teams being improperly linked to game performance.

Sam Bennett strikes me as the player that needs full buy in from everyone on the team to reach his own compete level, especially outside of playoffs. I think that at some point, something has to give and you have to just try for the sake of trying, and Calgary refused to. It's why this thread is a thing; the entire fanbase saw it, somehow it didn't end up manifesting, and here we are.

 

[SufferingCatFan]

Two games is not enough of a sample size to make a judgment regarding Bennet's future in Florida as a scorer, especially given that Bennet is now being given the opportunity to play 2c in a new system, with a new coaching staff and new players. That said, it is enough time to conclude that Bennet brings grit, high-end, physical tools and tantalizing potential, which he displayed in flashes with the Flames. IMO, given the Panther's obvious weakness at 2c and 3c, Zito made a smart trade for Bennet that, worse case, will likely pay enough in dividends this season to justify the price paid.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Two games is not enough of a sample size to make a judgment regarding Bennet's future in Florida as a scorer, especially given that Bennet is now being given the opportunity to play 2c in a new system, with a new coaching staff and new players. That said, it is enough time to conclude that Bennet brings grit, high-end, physical tools and tantalizing potential, which he displayed in flashes with the Flames. IMO, given the Panther's obvious weakness at 2c and 3c, Zito made a smart trade for Bennet that, worse case, will likely pay enough in dividends this season to justify the price paid.

Yeah Sam Bennett is the exact type of player the Panthers have been missing. He will make them much harder to play against every night.

But 1g 2a +4 5 shots 8 hits is a pretty nice stat line through 2 games.

I suspect that the Huberdeau - Bennett - Duclair line will be quite productive and difficult to play against. Speed, skill, and grit. Could end up being Florida's top line.

 

[CraigsList]

Yeah Sam Bennett is the exact type of player the Panthers have been missing. He will make them much harder to play against every night.

But 1g 2a +4 5 shots 8 hits is a pretty nice stat line through 2 games.

I suspect that the Huberdeau - Bennett - Duclair line will be quite productive and difficult to play against. Speed, skill, and grit. Could end up being Florida's top line.

Probably helps that the emergence of Verhaeghe and his chemistry with Barkov makes matters worse for whatever opponent plays against Florida.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Probably helps that the emergence of Verhaeghe and his chemistry with Barkov makes matters worse for whatever opponent plays against Florida.

Yeah they are going to create matchup nightmares for opponents.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

lol, that's rich coming from you.

But that's your gimmick, fetishize players who are massively overrated to discredit everyone else.

You sound upset that your golden boy Monahan is proving to be completely useless without Gaudreau.

Meanwhile Gaudreau looks revitalized without the Monahan anchor.

It's too bad the flames never gave Bennett the same opportunities Monahan had. He'd still be a flame and they'd be in a playoff spot.

 

[OysterForever]

He could definitely be useful tool in right situations.

 

[SwedishFire]

BEnnet seems very high on "have to play with very good to great players, to be a producing, positive player.

As someone stated before, I guess he just is not smart enough,

 

[joestevens29]

I think Sutter was and would have continued to get more out of Bennett.

With that being said it seems like Trevling was done with him and saw a chance to move him for pretty good value.

 

[violaswallet]

A) Gets to play on a line with high end skill where he needs to provide more of a two way game than do everything
B) Goes from Calgary’s spring to Florida beach weather while also going to a place with more lenient Covid restrictions and more to do outside
C) Joins a team that’s unexpectedly doing well in the middle of a tight playoff race (the order of the top 3 will essentially be determined with six games between the Canes, Lightning and Panthers)
D) Gets protected as no team is not going to send their best defense against Barkov even if Barkov is with spare pieces.
E) Less pressure: Calgary amplified the pressure of being of a top five pick; most Florida fans don’t know what the draft is (except for that it brought us Lundell)

 

[nbwingsfan]

He's always been a #1C talent in a shitty role. No, he's not Crosby or Matthews but he's right there in that ROR / Toews tier.



There was that time in the 2017 preseason against the Coyotes!!!

and then he starts the season on a line with Curtis Lazar

You keep saying this as if it was true but a 36pt player is not RoR or Toews

They were both very good by 20 years old and by their 3rd/4th season were stars. He's about to go into his seventh next year...

 

[Beezeral]

It's been 3 games...

 

[SoundwaveIsCharisma]

Glad to see him pull himself up to respectability.

Underrated comment.