What do the Flames need most?

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Johnny Hoxville

The Return of a Legend
Jul 15, 2006
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did OKG hack your account? I know you love to troll sometimes Hox, but this is just delusional

The one poster saying they are getting angry at people saying Bennett will never be a C, is just as ridiculous as any other comments made on this board. Bennett has played better on the wing, it’s no secret but the difference has been marginal if we’re being honest. Peters has said they need to find out what Bennett is, this is an NHL coach saying that decision hasn’t been decided on yet. It’s a lot like Lindholm really, I think we’re gonna see a whole lot of wingers playing all over next the place next year. Bennett had good games (and bad) at C last year and I don’t see what the issue is trying him there as needed next year and beyond.
 
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Lunatik

Normal is an illusion.
Oct 12, 2012
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The one poster saying they are getting angry at people saying Bennett will never be a C, is just as ridiculous as any other comments made on this board. Bennett has played better on the wing, it’s no secret but the difference has been marginal if we’re being honest. Peters has said they need to find out what Bennett is, this is an NHL coach saying that decision hasn’t been decided on yet. It’s a lot like Lindholm really, I think we’re gonna see a whole lot of wingers playing all over next the place next year. Bennett had good games (and bad) at C last year and I don’t see what the issue is trying him there as needed next year and beyond.
Marginal.... that's a good word, it completely sums up Sam Bennett's career to date
 

Volica

Papa Shango
May 15, 2012
21,392
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I hope you guys don't lose your minds when Bennett ends up on the wing for the majority of the year.

Independent of what Benny does there will be minds blown.

If he sucks and stay at wing, there will be a number of people who'll be mind f***ed.
If he does well and puts up a 50 point campaign at wing, a number of people will be mind f***ed.
If he's used as a centre, at all, minds will be f***ed.

I like the kid, I'm rooting for him. We need another big offensive piece on this team of the elite variety. If you could get 50 out of Benny and 65/70 out of Chucky... that'd be dynamite.
 

Kranix

Deranged Homer
Jun 27, 2012
18,122
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This is the year Bennett becomes a sniper and starts cracking in one-timers from the circles
 

Rubi

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Wouldn't at all be surprised to see Bennett playing RW on the #1 line..... for few shifts.
As a regular? I highly doubt it …. unless if in those few shifts, he's spectacular, and then he may get a few more shifts.

I fully expect the first two lines to look like this, on a regular basis:

Gaudreau - Monahan - Lindholm/Neal
Tkachuck - Backlund - Lindholm/Neal

RW up for grabs. Whoever plays best with who will settle into the appropriate spot.
Bennett will most likely play LW on the 3rd line, until he proves that he's better than any of the other players listed above. To expect him to be better this season than those players, given his track record to date, is pie in the sky and unicorn and fairyland thinking.
 

Rangediddy

The puck was in
Oct 28, 2011
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Wouldn't at all be surprised to see Bennett playing RW on the #1 line..... for few shifts.
As a regular? I highly doubt it …. unless if in those few shifts, he's spectacular, and then he may get a few more shifts.

I fully expect the first two lines to look like this, on a regular basis:

Gaudreau - Monahan - Lindholm/Neal
Tkachuck - Backlund - Lindholm/Neal

RW up for grabs. Whoever plays best with who will settle into the appropriate spot.
Bennett will most likely play LW on the 3rd line, until he proves that he's better than any of the other players listed above. To expect him to be better this season than those players, given his track record to date, is pie in the sky and unicorn and fairyland thinking.
It's really not that outrageous. Look at Couturier, arguably under performed his draft expectations (touted early as a #1 OA), but he's still young and exploded this year. No reason to think Bennett can't do that as well. It may not be this year, it may be when he turns 25, but it's not a crazy idea that a young kid works hard in the off-season and has a turn around season.
 

The Gnome

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May 17, 2010
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It's really not that outrageous. Look at Couturier, arguably under performed his draft expectations (touted early as a #1 OA), but he's still young and exploded this year. No reason to think Bennett can't do that as well. It may not be this year, it may be when he turns 25, but it's not a crazy idea that a young kid works hard in the off-season and has a turn around season.

It's like people who post on HF started watching hockey yesterday...I've literally seen the situation you laid out for Couturier come to fruition many, many times in the NHL. In fact, it's more of the norm for player progression. I cannot for the life of me understand why people think Bennett is what he is at the age of 22. Only in HF land I guess, because in reality, I'd be far more surprised if he didn't ever improve.

As for surpassing Neal and Lindholm. Neal is a top 6 lock...Lindholm may be because he is a RHS, but if he shifted to center, Bennett could certainly find his way into the top 6.
 

Rangediddy

The puck was in
Oct 28, 2011
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I actually think we should consider our team as being capable of having guys like Neal & Lindholm play anywhere in the top 9. Our 3rd line could potentially be as good as our 2nd if we consider the possibility of Bennett playing top line RW and Lindholm centering or playing RW the 3rd. I don't think having Bennett play on the top line means that Lindholm is bumped out of the top 6, just that we have the ability to create another 2nd line centered by someone other than Backlund.

Tkachuk - Backlund - Neal
Jankowski - Lindholm - Czarnik

Who knows, that Lindholm line could be just as important of a line to us as Backlund's :dunno:
 

Rangediddy

The puck was in
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It's like people who post on HF started watching hockey yesterday...I've literally seen the situation you laid out for Couturier come to fruition many, many times in the NHL. In fact, it's more of the norm for player progression. I cannot for the life of me understand why people think Bennett is what he is at the age of 22. Only in HF land I guess, because in reality, I'd be far more surprised if he didn't ever improve.

As for surpassing Neal and Lindholm. Neal is a top 6 lock...Lindholm may be because he is a RHS, but if he shifted to center, Bennett could certainly find his way into the top 6.
You could probably go through a bunch of the top scorers last season and you'd find that a lot of them had their "POP" year in their 5th season. MacKinnon, Wheeler, Benn, Pavelski, Scheifele, The Sedins all popped in their 5th season, some even later. No reason to write off Bennett yet
 

InfinityIggy

Zagidulin's Dad
Jan 30, 2011
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Agree with some of the last comments here. And I’ll add, I think ideally we want one of Lindholm or Bennett to step up and take the 2C job from Backlund. Let Backlund be our Kadri, and I don’t really care which one of them do it, but it would be great if it happened.

That’d be great but it’s up to those two to outplay Backlund, not be given his spot. We shall see.
 
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Baxterman

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Aug 27, 2017
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That’d be great but it’s up to those two to outplay Backlund, not be given his spot. We shall see.

I don't think that Bennett has to outplay Backlund to move up to that 2nd line but he does have to show that he can play on that line on his own merit not just because they want him there.

I know some will see it as a demotion for Backlund because of our traditional outlook of 1st, 2nd 3rd, 4th lines but I think if they move him down that he still could/should be the 4th-5th forward in terms of ice time and his role would be just as important, it would just allow the team to use their players in better ways and spread out the effectiveness of each line.
 

Flameshomer

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Aug 26, 2010
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If Bennett breaks out it will be a happy day for flames fans. It is, in my opinion, more likely the earth is struck by an enormous asteroid before that occurs.
 

Rangediddy

The puck was in
Oct 28, 2011
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If Bennett breaks out it will be a happy day for flames fans. It is, in my opinion, more likely the earth is struck by an enormous asteroid before that occurs.
QtpU.gif
 
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SKRusty

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Jan 20, 2016
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I still stand by that. McKinnon, Matthews and Eichel have done enough in the last 2 years to create separation but other than that there is little difference between Mony and the rest. The talent separation of a 4th line and the first line has never been narrower.

Come the playoffs and the game slows down allowing players like Looch to become major factors.
 
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