Sam Bennett

[Anglesmith]

I don’t know how much more to expect given that he gets 0 PP time. His points in the last 15 games is an excellent pace given that it’s all 5 on 5.

For what it's worth, he's on PP2 right now with Backlund and Tkachuk. At least until Jagr returns, then we'll see what happens.

 

[Lunatik]

Insane to see what happens when you get him away from the worst player in the league for a bit

He's been playing well of late but I'm still expecting more

Worst player in the league? Are you f***ing kidding me? None of the guys he's played with are the worst player in the league. He's doing better because the Flames finally pulled their heads out of their asses and moved him to the wing where he should have been all along.

 

[Lunatik]

He's on pace for 30pts this season, interesting to see if he continues to produce well (finally) and can crack at least 40pts. That would be something to build on for the kid. Although he should have been in the AHL when he was eligible to round out his game offensively.

Should we still trade just because?

 

[Lunatik]

first 15 games: on pace for 0 points
last 15 games: on pace for 60 points

it's amazing what happens when he's given some decent linemates. if that line stays together, i see him cracking 50 points this year

The difference is he is playing wing.

When he plays wing, he shoots more and he takes fewer penalties. That is the significant difference. This blaming his linemates bullshit needs to quit. His struggles were on him and the organization for not playing him on the wing where he has belonged from day 1.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Should we still trade just because?

Sure, now the value isn't rock bottom.

 

[topcheezy]

The difference is he is playing wing.

When he plays wing, he shoots more and he takes fewer penalties. That is the significant difference. This blaming his linemates bull**** needs to quit. His struggles were on him and the organization for not playing him on the wing where he has belonged from day 1.

well it was a combination of both things. obviously you're gonna struggle at center when your two wingers are useless 5 on 5. he's never centered a line with two good players so you don't know that he'd still be pointless if it was jankowski and jagr on his wings. it's silly to overlook the fact that jankowski and jagr have been a massive upgrade for him

 

[Calgareee]

well it was a combination of both things. obviously you're gonna struggle at center when your two wingers are useless 5 on 5. he's never centered a line with two good players so you don't know that he'd still be pointless if it was jankowski and jagr on his wings. it's silly to overlook the fact that jankowski and jagr have been a massive upgrade for him

Maybe but I definitely prefer Janks down the middle to Bennett.

 

[Tkachuky]

I wouldn't mind breaking it up, if we can call Mangiapane up and Versteeg gets healthy.

Mangiapane -Jankowski-Hathaway (this line has insane chemistry from the AHL)
Versteeg-Bennett-Jagr (this line had pretty decent chemistry, but Versteeg was just awful around that time of year and they only played together for a game and a half.)
Gaudreau-Monahan-Ferland (duh-doy)
Tkachuk-Backlund-Frolik


That'd be four killer lines.

Where's Brouwer? One can wish he wouldn't be on this team.

 

[Baxterman]

Jankowski isn't an upgrade over Brouwer or Versteeg and Jagr is at times but at other times he is so broken down and slow that I am not sure how effective he is.

I think the move to wing and him finally not having horrific luck have been the two biggest changes for Bennett. It has made his game more simple and given him confidence.

The improvement has been a great (and not surprising) change and I expect him to keep up this level of play for the rest of the season.

 

[OvermanKingGainer]

Jankowski isn't an upgrade over Brouwer or Versteeg

So incredibly wrong.

 

[Volica]

What people are missing about Bennett ‘not being a bust’ anymore is the fact his shooting percentage and his lines’ percentage simply normalized. Flames fans have been saying it from the start of the year; this guy has had terrible puck luck this season while creating at least a few chances a game.

If he hits 40-45 points this season, this team found a great young player.

 

[Johnny Hoxville]

I love Bennett, first of all the kid just has an attitude that every coach would want. He’s his own worst critic and if anything he’s to hard on himself. Bennett struggled this season early on no question, but a lot of that was confidence. Now he’s on the wing, focusing on a simplier game and playing with a really good young player with size in Janks and the results are coming. This duo has the potential to make a lot of noise and I feel like the natural progression will be to move Tkachuk there next season when Jagr does not return.

Bennett was never a bust though despite not scoring. But hey when people stat watch, it’s easy to throw mud.

 

[Haatley]

So incredibly wrong.

This guy has some serious hate for Jankowski for some reason. I wouldn't even bother.

 

[CraigsList]

Sure, now the value isn't rock bottom.

It never was rock bottom, no matter how much you spin it to fit your narrative.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

It never was rock bottom, no matter how much you spin it to fit your narrative.

I have no narrative so I mean there's that.

 

[blankall]

Did anyone that actually watched him play think he was a bust?

Just goes to show [mod]

Playing with two rookies on the 3rd line and was probably our best line of the night

Anyone who actually watched him play knew that he would be mid six player with grit at worst. Even when he's not scoring, he's doing lots of things right. Now that he is scoring, he's a huge asset to the Flames. What they desperately need is depth scoring.

 

[Baxterman]

This guy has some serious hate for Jankowski for some reason. I wouldn't even bother.

I don't have a serious hate for him at all. I just don't think he is a very good player at all.

 

[Calgareee]

I don't have a serious hate for him at all. I just don't think he is a very good player at all.

Well despite some pretty considerable evidence to the contrary you continue to have that opinion.

In some circles that can be construed as “having a hate on”.

 

[Baxterman]

Well despite some pretty considerable evidence to the contrary you continue to have that opinion.

In some circles that can be construed as “having a hate on”.

What's the considerable evidence to the contrary?

He is average at best defensively, I think below average but not so bad to get into a big discussion about. He has poor offensive numbers helped out a ton by 2 games because in the vast majority of his games he has done squat. He isn't particularly good away from the puck. He isn't generating chances and getting bad puck luck, he fails the eye test when you watch him. He is soft.

The only "evidence" is Feaster said he would be good and Flames fans have invested so much into saying he will be good that we have to keep going with that so we don't look wrong.

 

[Nightfx]

What's the considerable evidence to the contrary?

He is average at best defensively, I think below average but not so bad to get into a big discussion about. He has poor offensive numbers helped out a ton by 2 games because in the vast majority of his games he has done squat. He isn't particularly good away from the puck. He isn't generating chances and getting bad puck luck, he fails the eye test when you watch him. He is soft.

The only "evidence" is Feaster said he would be good and Flames fans have invested so much into saying he will be good that we have to keep going with that so we don't look wrong.

I think your eyes are failing. might want to get them checked.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

What people are missing about Bennett ‘not being a bust’ anymore is the fact his shooting percentage and his lines’ percentage simply normalized. Flames fans have been saying it from the start of the year; this guy has had terrible puck luck this season while creating at least a few chances a game.

If he hits 40-45 points this season, this team found a great young player.

What, you mean you can't draw a conclusion about a player over a 20 game stretch when said player is getting horrifically bad "puck luck"?

But that's pretty much a HF past time!

"Player X has struggled for 20 games -- clearly he sucks!"

"Player Y is tearing it up for 20 games -- move over Wayne Gretzky!"

 

[Baxterman]

What, you mean you can't draw a conclusion about a player over a 20 game stretch when said player is getting horrifically bad "puck luck"?

But that's pretty much a HF past time!

"Player X has struggled for 20 games -- clearly he sucks!"

"Player Y is tearing it up for 20 games -- move over Wayne Gretzky!"

You don't even need to be tearing it up even a pretty good (not great) start can get you the 'Greatest American Hockey Player" title.

 

[Johnny Hoxville]

What, you mean you can't draw a conclusion about a player over a 20 game stretch when said player is getting horrifically bad "puck luck"?

But that's pretty much a HF past time!

"Player X has struggled for 20 games -- clearly he sucks!"

"Player Y is tearing it up for 20 games -- move over Wayne Gretzky!"

I’m just surprised and grateful that the Flames didn’t write off 21 year old Sam Bennett, in you know, his 3rd NHL season. He was a former 4OA pick so he should have been a PPG player just like Leon and every other 4OA pick: Puljujarvi, Marner, Jones, G. Reinhart, Larsson, Johansen, Kane, Pietrangelo, Hickey, Backstrom.

There’s some excellent players in there, some busts, but it’s taken a good number of them a few seasons to hit the ground running on their feet (Jones, Larsson, Johansen, Kane). Point is, I’m not worried about Bennett at all, he’s going to be a really good player.

 

[Calgareee]

What's the considerable evidence to the contrary?

He is average at best defensively, I think below average but not so bad to get into a big discussion about. He has poor offensive numbers helped out a ton by 2 games because in the vast majority of his games he has done squat. He isn't particularly good away from the puck. He isn't generating chances and getting bad puck luck, he fails the eye test when you watch him. He is soft.

The only "evidence" is Feaster said he would be good and Flames fans have invested so much into saying he will be good that we have to keep going with that so we don't look wrong.

Yes. Every time he gets into the o-zone below the hash mark he has terrible puck control, can’t hold possession or work an excellent cycle. He certainly doesn’t bull through other players and drive the net.

He’s also played about 20 NHL games and has clearly peaked. He is a pathetic 6’4”, 210 pounds and is only going get weaker and less skilled. He is taking up way too much ice time with his 13 minutes a game and should be sent back to the AHL where he showed he wasn’t good enough to be more than a 13th forward.

 

[DJJones]

How could anyone complain about how Jankowski has played so far?

He's been fantastic