Pulju might do it all - but Laine has an elite release. Something we sorely need more of. Outside of Lindy on the PP, and Johnny on the rare occasion - we lack a lot of high quality shooting ability (assuming Monahan is moved for Laine).
Confirmed with Link: Sam Bennett and 6th (2022) traded to Florida for 2nd (2022) and Emil Heineman
- Thread starter Mobiandi
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I am a Bennett fan but he was never a fit with the coaches here until the end. As a center he needed skilled wingers to perform and he was never going to get to center Calgary's top wingers (Gaudreau, Tkachuk, Dube and Mangiapane) because in a classic case of catch 22 he had never shown enough to displace over a large sample size Backlund, Monahan, and Lindholm because he had never had the opportunity to center the same quality linemates over a large sample size.
Treliving got a really good return for what they had developed him into. Even if Florida was positive they could get him to perform and it was going to last several seasons they were never going to give up more than a 2nd and a solid prospect because thats a slight premium to what a bottom 9 forward should be worth.
Treliving got a really good return for what they had developed him into. Even if Florida was positive they could get him to perform and it was going to last several seasons they were never going to give up more than a 2nd and a solid prospect because thats a slight premium to what a bottom 9 forward should be worth.
I am just gonna throw this out there but Puljujarvi has not suddenly come into his draft position. He is just the latest Kassian/Chaisson/Maroon to develop a little chemistry with McDavid and will ride it into an overpriced contract with the Oilers.
For me when I watched Bennett I saw a player that was struggling to play the east west cycle game that Gully, Peters and Ward wanted the team to play and when Sutter brought in a North/South dump and chase system you could see Bennett being more comfortable and confident with the puck.
Puljujarvi only shows that when McDavid is on the ice.
This is incredibly inaccurate. In 10 playoff games at 5v5, Bennett had 64% GF% (outscoring opposition 7-4), 54% expected goals, scored 3 times and led our team in shots and shots/60 and had 1.36 P/60. Monahan had a GF% of 37.5% (being outscored 5-3), an xGF% of 44% and had 1 ES point in 10 games, a secondary assist, for a P/60 of 0.43. In 140 minutes Gaudreau and Monahan put up 1 secondary assist between the 2 of them in 10 games. Bennett had 3 goals, outscored the opposition, and did it with Lucic on his line in less TOI. Also led the team in hits and his excellent motor was on display being F1 on the forecheck every shift. He was not 'bleeding chances', he was actually outscoring and outchancing his opponents unlike any of our other forwards not named Dube or Lucic on his wings.
I don't think Bennett is suddenly a 1C and he will inevitably regress from the pace he is on rn, and I don't wish for Monahan to fail. If Monahan were making 2.5 mil and scored at the exact same rate he is now this would be a very different conversation. That's solid middle-6 value and production. But come on, you can't come in here and start calling people out by name and saying 'the IQ of Flames fans on this forum has dropped' simply because we're suggesting Monahan hasn't been an offensive force for 2 years and is the most expendable of our expensive/ valuable assets. He used to be a top-30 offensive player in the league and he has dropped off significantly. It happens sometimes and I admit I'm too hard on him sometimes but still think he has to go this off-season simply because we need flexibility and he's the most expendable. And don't act like Bennett gave us 0 reason to give him a longer look. He was legitimately one of our best players last playoffs any way you slice it, and was never given an extended look in the top-6 at C. You coming in here being like 'these idiots make me not wanna cheer for the Flames' or 'I don't care about Bennett he's irrelevant to me now' are just examples of you not being able to deal with ppl disagreeing with your opinion and lashing out in response
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HighLifeMan
#SnowyStrong
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I just love how Puljujarvi is a "heck of a right winger" with his 58 points in 184 games. The guy has absolute rocks for brains, but hey.. he skates fast.
Mazatt
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Let's see if this holds up with how his points have been produced.
Secondary assist on PP: https://hlslive-wsczoominwestus.med.nhl.com/editor/ed9edd55-9d2b-4662-a182-6462a89f1d98.mp4
Carries it in for an abbreviated dump-in, Barkov recovers it, Duclair gets it to Bennett in space who makes a semi-pressured pass to Huberdeau, puck comes back to Duclair for a tap-in.
Secondar 5v5 assist: https://hlslive-wsczoominwestus.med.nhl.com/editor/eeaf5f27-a945-43fa-aef5-f0ccd38efd29.mp4
Has the puck in space in the corner, generates a scoring chance that Tippett is able to convert on with traffic in front following the puck bouncing around quite a bit.
Secondary assist:
Barkov creates space, Bennett curls back and the defender on him blows a tire after a good cut back. Makes a pass through traffic that is nearly picked off and it comes to Barkov, who makes some nice moves to create space for Huberdeau with a solid back hand pass.
So just off that game he genuinely created the one scoring chance, but overall looked good.
goal against Nashville: https://hlslive-wsczoominwestus.med.nhl.com/editor/0a95bc74-272d-4431-b246-3f868d7543b9.mp4
Don't think how that I have to say how him getting the puck bounced off his skate is not due to his influence.
Against Carolina, secondary assist. https://hlslive-wsczoominwestus.med.nhl.com/editor/3e4fc1ab-eec4-41d9-96f3-87a3ae8a54ed.mp4
Huberdeah pressures Pesce, has him struggling with the puck and Bennett comes in with a poke check onto the stick of Huberdeau who has the vision to find Weegar up high.
So by all measures, imo, he is able to just get the puck to better linemates who are able to then create and finish plays due to creativity... that's not 1C material.
The other thing to note is that I don't think anyone doubts Bennett has high potential has a middle six guy, it's just that he is hilariously inconsistent to the point that him putting things together with more skilled linemates for 7 games is not a basis to claim he is a 1C. Bennett is playing good hockey and is able to take advantage of an opportunity. That does not also mean that he is massively benefitting from playing behind a selke caliber centre in Barkov, and with a first line caliber player in Huberdeau. Yes, he is able to make good plays offensively (but was never great defesnively when utilized as a centre) but that does make him 1st line caliber. That's where the disconnect is. If he has to be on a line with Huberdeau and Duclair, playing behind Barkov to be a 1st line centre guy, he's no different than Monahan was, but he's in an even more ideal situation compared to what he had with having to actually play on the 1st line to be a 1st line center.
Mazatt
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Be all end all for Bennett is he does not have the track record nor the ability to suggest he is a top line player. When he is producing it is always a small sample size, be it the playoffs, or what not. In the playoffs he finds ways to produce despite playing with Neal/Jankowski/Lucic/Dube, but when in similar situations over a full season he is unable to do so, and that is meant to be a positive for him, somehow. Now that he is producing in the regular season it is not due to him playing at his ceiling, it is simply capitalizing on other who are able to create more space. Bennett gets the respect level of the 6th most dangerous guy in a teams top 6, and that respect leaves him wide open for when Duclair and Huberdeau make impressive plays in tight that create space. He would not have the same ideal scenario to make it work in Calgary, and imo, if he can't make it work as a centre on a consistent basis with non-1st-line linemates, you can't argue him to be a top centre in the NHL. Tha's where there is a large disconnect.
His production this year before Florida was largely as a winger, his production in past playoffs were also as a winger. Using his P/60 from his time as a winger to argue him a 1C is disengenuous and I hope everyone has the werewithal to acknowledge that fact.
His production this year before Florida was largely as a winger, his production in past playoffs were also as a winger. Using his P/60 from his time as a winger to argue him a 1C is disengenuous and I hope everyone has the werewithal to acknowledge that fact.
SufferingCatFan
Registered User
In 38 games with the Flames, Bennet had 4G and 8A. In 7 games with the Panthers Bennet has 4G and 6A. Sample size with Bennet playing 2C with Florida is still too small to draw any definitive conclusions. But, on the ice, he plays like a legit 2c in terms of skating, passing, scoring and defense. Would like to know why Flames failed/refused to allow him to play center? Got to believe that there was a legit reason. Just not seeing it.
OvermanKingGainer
#BennettFreed #CurseofTheSpulll #FreeOliver
There are two philosophies to coaching
A) Being smart and putting players in positions to succeed, especially when they are talented and play a style conducive to winning
B) Beind idiotic and putting players in assorted positions to fail in the hopes that they miraculously succeed anyways despite all odds and you look like a genius for making them earn it when actually you were just a dumbass
Glen Gulutzan, Bill Peters, and Geoff Ward subscribe to philosophy B
Mobiandi
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Gaudreau-Monahan-x scored goals
Tkachuk-Backlund-Frolik scored goals and stopped the opposition's best lines
The bottom 6 was a hodge-podge of guys with one foot out of the league and Bennett got the bulk of the blame for not being able to raise their games above replacement level.
OvermanKingGainer
#BennettFreed #CurseofTheSpulll #FreeOliver
Try watching that whole shift (which isn't in that video) before you make stuff up. Bennett brought the puck in through the neutral zone, made the zone entry himself, took a dirty hit while protecting the puck that resulted in him drawing a penalty. Then managed to maintain control of the puck long enough for a 6v5 to develop as Barkov was the sixth guy.
Do you see six Panthers on the ice in that sequence?
Do you want to guess why the Panthers had an extra man on the ice?
Do you know which player leads the NHL in penalties drawn since April 16th?
Do you really think passing the puck around the perimeter with an extra is some display of
How about you watch an actual Panthers game instead of being a highlight scout.
Again
Bennett's play is elite because of what he does across all 200 feet of the ice
Posting highlights ignores the first 125 feet of the ice where the play tends to start, especially for a CENTER.
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I disagree with the bolded. Pretty confident that both Gully and Ward didn’t subscribe to anything and were way out of their depth. HF Boards could run the team better than both of them
OvermanKingGainer
#BennettFreed #CurseofTheSpulll #FreeOliver
Trust me, ask any Oiler Fan... I of all people on this board do NOT like to praise an Oiler, but you're wrong.
Jesse Puljujarvi plays the style of game you need to win, with just the right balance of skill, simplicity, speed, tenacity, size, the whole package. He's probably a better talent than a guy like Kunitz who was Sid's right hand man. If I had to compare him to anyone I've watched over the years, it would be Rick Nash with worse hands. McDavid is lucky to have him, not the other way around.
And his production has a ton of room to skyrocket once they let Nugent Hopkins ride off into the sunset and put JP on PP1 for left circle one-timers of Draisaitl/McDavid feeds (it's mindblowing this hasn't already happened btw. The Oilers PP coach must be an idiot like Gulutzan.)
In his last 6 games under Sutter Bennett had 6 points.
And...sample context.
Replace Coach Q with "coach" Ward, put Duclair on a line with Lomberg and Lammikko, give him 10-12 mins a game and zero PP time.
Thats what happened to Bennett.
InfinityIggy
Zagidulin's Dad
Puljujarvi is the full physical toolset but he has nothing between the ears. That said, I don’t entirely disagree with you. He’s the type of player where if he plays with guys who can carry his line, he could shine. Fortunately for Edmonton they have a couple guys who match that description.
Mazatt
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You legit just say shit. You ignore everything other than one clip to go off on how Bennett is elite in every facet of his play because??? If he is legitamtely elite he wouldn't need to be put into an absolutely perfect spot in order to produce meaningfully for the first time in his career.
In Calgary he was in no way a "beast" defensively. His offensive support was him trying to do everything on his own regardless of what who his teammates were. If you genuinely think he can do everything at an elite level there's no reason he can't produce with guys that people like Jankowski and Ryan were able to produce with.
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OvermanKingGainer
#BennettFreed #CurseofTheSpulll #FreeOliver
His hockey sense is just fine. People just make these kind of statements every time a guy with tools doesn't see obvious counting stat success.
InfinityIggy
Zagidulin's Dad
His hockey sense is not just fine. His own coaches have knocked him for it lol.
OvermanKingGainer
#BennettFreed #CurseofTheSpulll #FreeOliver
And Tortorella knocked Anthony Duclair's hockey sense a few years ago, the same guy who is lighting it up in Florida's top six, playing in every situation too.
Do yourself a favour and watch the Oilers/Jets game on right now and do nothing but watch Puljujarvi. He does a LOT of good things every shift.
InfinityIggy
Zagidulin's Dad
I mean, that only proves what I am saying. Duclair does have poor hockey sense, but he is highly skilled. So it’s no surprise when he plays with top players and line drivers he produces. Just like Puljujarvi.
I’ve watched plenty of Puljujarvi, you’re talking out your ass.
Tkachuk Norris
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he’s a good player but you’re kidding yourself if you think he is more than a complimentary piece lifted by an elite line-mate.
It sounds an awful lot like another infamous pair on HFFlames....
violaswallet
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To be honest, Duke has looked nice to Barkov and Huberdeau separately, which is not always the case. Even for Bennett, Trocheck struggled to get consistent chemistry with Huberdeau on ES. I wouldn't attribute so much to Huby but instead to how Huby and Bennett interact
There's definitely something to be said for allowing players to contribute without driving the line, especially young players.
Tkachuk Norris
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I was reffering to Monahan and Gaudreau who OKG has loathed for years because he was nothing mre than a complmentary piece. Just pointing out the hypocrisy of liking Pulujaarvi who plays with McDavid while hating Monahan who has been even more productive with a lesser player
OvermanKingGainer
#BennettFreed #CurseofTheSpulll #FreeOliver
I didn't "loath Monahan for being a complementary piece". That's so false.
I thought he was being overused and overvalued for being a one dimensional scorer. The kind of player who was riding an elite talent's coattails to being treated as a number one center, when he was just a scorer. And while you do need to score goals, I think centers in particular need to do more than score goals.
Puljujarvi might even have hands of stone, but a one-dimensional scorer, he is not. And no, I don't think Puljujarvi drives the bus or anything on the McDavid line. But I do think the little things he does on that line, which a few of you won't acknowledge, help mcdavid a good bit.
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