OR, and hear me out here...

Bennett is just not all that good.
- BINGO!

Good luck convincing this fan base of that. I’ve never seen a guy get as much of a pass than Bennett while dogging their leading point getter. I guess maybe Tkachuk now.

Tkachuk came in and immediately showed a mature defensive side of his game, and with Frolik, that was one of the best shutdown lines in hockey... that could still score. Bennett has never been strong defensively - this is where I do agree that another year of Jr might have firmed that up. I don't think it had anything to do with Chucky buttering anyone up, he was (and is) a better all around player.
- rmull905

100%.

It's not even close.

Good luck convincing this fan base of that. I’ve never seen a guy get as much of a pass than Bennett while dogging their leading point getter. I guess maybe Tkachuk now.
- Ol_Boy_Wop

Like... he's fine as a depth piece I guess? But that's it. A physical depth guy. You can find guys that do what he does pretty much anywhere. Everybody just thought he was something else when he was drafted SEVEN YEARS AGO.

Good luck convincing this fan base of that. I’ve never seen a guy get as much of a pass than Bennett while dogging their leading point getter. I guess maybe Tkachuk now.
- Ol_Boy_Wop

#ShouldHaveTradedHimForHoffman

Like... he's fine as a depth piece I guess? But that's it. A physical depth guy. You can find guys that do what he does pretty much anywhere. Everybody just thought he was something else when he was drafted SEVEN YEARS AGO.
- BINGO!

I like what Ritchie has brought and he's happy just getting a one way contract ! There, problem solved.

Like... he's fine as a depth piece I guess? But that's it. A physical depth guy. You can find guys that do what he does pretty much anywhere. Everybody just thought he was something else when he was drafted SEVEN YEARS AGO.
- BINGO!

I was fine with him being that. After the trade request I kind of soured on him because, in my opinion, he hadn’t earned a trade request.

Like I said before I hope he does well but I’m glad the Flames got something for him.

I was fine with him being that. After the trade request I kind of soured on him because, in my opinion, he hadn’t earned a trade request.

Like I said before I hope he does well but I’m glad the Flames got something for him.
- Ol_Boy_Wop

So lets all move the FRANK on then and be happy we got a solid return for Sam!
This teams mediocre play for like forever is the real issue... its time to make changes.

OR, and hear me out here...

Bennett is just not all that good.
- BINGO!

He's not skilled - but the point I'm making, he didn't give us his playoff level effort during the regular season - because he was disgruntled.

On the other hand, people who endlessly defend Sam, and lie to themselves saying "he just needs more time to breakout" drive me up the wall. It doesn't take a genius to realize he wasn't trying on purpose.

Tkachuk came in and immediately showed a mature defensive side of his game, and with Frolik, that was one of the best shutdown lines in hockey... that could still score. Bennett has never been strong defensively - this is where I do agree that another year of Jr might have firmed that up. I don't think it had anything to do with Chucky buttering anyone up, he was (and is) a better all around player.
- rmull905

Frolik and Tkachuk are wingers though - it's politically incorrect to say it, but I think Bennett expected to be given #2C, end result = he only tried in the playoffs

I firmly remember Tkachuk saying things like "Backlund's SUCH a good center and he's highly under-rated, he does so many things right". If you don't think Sam, and his entourage, would question small things like that... politics do factor into these guys' careers.

Where's Frolik? Taxi squad
Backlund? Mediocre to decent center, 3rd line quality, playing 2C, team won't make the playoffs. If they get another center with a higher ceiling - put Backlund on the wing, and he could clean up defensively for the rookie center. Maybe if Backlund played that supportive role for Bennett, then Sam would have given us his playoff hockey effort level - but the fact he's high maintenance like that, is exactly why I don't want him on my team.

Frolik and Tkachuk are wingers though - it's politically incorrect to say it, but I think Bennett expected to be given #2C, end result = he only tried in the playoffs

I firmly remember Tkachuk saying things like "Backlund's SUCH a good center and he's highly under-rated, he does so many things right". If you don't think Sam, and his entourage, would question small things like that... politics do factor into these guys' careers.

Where's Frolik? Taxi squad
Backlund? Mediocre to decent center, 3rd line quality, playing 2C, team won't make the playoffs. If they get another center with a higher ceiling - put Backlund on the wing, and he could clean up defensively for the rookie center. Maybe if Backlund played that supportive role for Bennett, then Sam would have given us his playoff hockey effort level - but the fact he's high maintenance like that, is exactly why I don't want him on my team.
- eastcanadAREaholes

Bennett is a winger - he's not going to be a 2C anywhere in this league. And yeah, Backlund back then was getting votes for Selke - and not token votes, he was 4th in league voting in 2016/2017. Is he a great 2C now? No. He's a very solid 3C and is still their top shutdown twoway centre.

So if Tkachuk was saying those things... so was the rest of the league.

And if we're playing the "where are they game", where's Joe Thornton? Where's Jason Spezza? Where's Sven Baertschi? Frolik, in 2016/17 was a legit top 6 guy, let's not kid ourselves here.

It's not politically incorrect to say about Sam's play on the ice - he was not good. James Neal expected to ride Johnny's wing and sucked donkey balls, so he didn't. If Bennett wanted 2C, he sure didn't play like he did.

Frolik and Tkachuk are wingers though - it's politically incorrect to say it, but I think Bennett expected to be given #2C, end result = he only tried in the playoffs

I firmly remember Tkachuk saying things like "Backlund's SUCH a good center and he's highly under-rated, he does so many things right". If you don't think Sam, and his entourage, would question small things like that... politics do factor into these guys' careers.

Where's Frolik? Taxi squad
Backlund? Mediocre to decent center, 3rd line quality, playing 2C, team won't make the playoffs. If they get another center with a higher ceiling - put Backlund on the wing, and he could clean up defensively for the rookie center. Maybe if Backlund played that supportive role for Bennett, then Sam would have given us his playoff hockey effort level - but the fact he's high maintenance like that, is exactly why I don't want him on my team.
- eastcanadAREaholes

Frolik's in Mtl.

Bennett is a winger - he's not going to be a 2C anywhere in this league. And yeah, Backlund back then was getting votes for Selke - and not token votes, he was 4th in league voting in 2016/2017. Is he a great 2C now? No. He's a very solid 3C and is still their top shutdown twoway centre.

So if Tkachuk was saying those things... so was the rest of the league.

And if we're playing the "where are they game", where's Joe Thornton? Where's Jason Spezza? Where's Sven Baertschi? Frolik, in 2016/17 was a legit top 6 guy, let's not kid ourselves here.

It's not politically incorrect to say about Sam's play on the ice - he was not good. James Neal expected to ride Johnny's wing and sucked donkey balls, so he didn't. If Bennett wanted 2C, he sure didn't play like he did.
- rmull905

In the NHL, you bet it IS politically incorrect, to come out and say you expect to be given a position - and I'm not saying Sam was a skilled player. I'm trying to figure out why Sam didn't play hard during the regular season. I'm glad he's gone, we don't' have to deal with that drama, we don't have to listen to people say "he needs more time", we don't have 2 #3Cs..

The thing about Backlund, if he can only give us 0.5 Pts/g, he's got no business being on the 2nd line, say we bring up Zary, (with Lindholm 1C, Mony 2C, Zary 3C) I'd want to give Zary healthy minutes - the same 15 minutes minimum they gave Monahan to start with - let him play C, but bring in Backlund on the wing to support him - whether that's on the 2nd or 3rd line. You have to consider the possibility Backlund's holding the team back in a stealthy way. For this reason I'd want to trade him, in return for upgrades on the wing - but they'll keep him to fill the hole losing Monahan would create. I don't like Monahan either because he's soft, and Backlund might be a good 2 way center, but he's a 3rd liner, and coaches slot him in as 2C way too often because they give up on separating Monahan/Lindholm/Gaudreau, and Backlund ends up #2C.

I'd focus my roster surgery on Backlund & Monahan. Monny's too soft. Backlund can't drive the bus. I really like the grittiness of Mangiapane & Lindholm.. & Tkachuk.. true Sutter players.. and that should be the identity of the team.

If they want to go with Lindholm 1C and Monahan 2C - they need a better winger, to truly balance out the scoring and prevent getting forced to run with the Gaudreau/Lindholm/Monahan line. I bet they pitch to Hall, good luck prying him out of Boston though.

So then lets all move the FRANK on then and be happy we got a solid return for Sam!
This teams mediocre play for like forever is the real issue... its time to make changes.
- DEDDIE

You're preaching to the choir, here. That was my initial point.