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Sam Bennett Available

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The Podium said:
The beginning and end of your post are much different. He isnt worth Kerfoot alone, nevermind adding... You should be giving up less.
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I guess I'm just not a big Kerfoot guy and I figured a modest add might be worthwhile to get someone with a bit more potential. But yes, Bennett isn't anything special and who knows if he'll ever take another step. I can just as easily do without him.
 
The Podium said:
I’m only interested as a Hyman-esque LW for Tavares and Nylander.

Moves Mikheyev down to the 3rd line where, IMO, he looked much better.

Don’t agree with these Kerfoot offers though since he isn’t a good 3C replacement.
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Similar thinking, but I want Hyman to be the Hyman-esque RW for Tavares and Nylander, and gamble on Bennett being an actual left shot with quicker hands Hyman-esque LW for Marner and Matthews.
 
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6ix said:
I’d move Mikheyev for Bennett 50% retained. Mikheyev does nothing but skate fast. Soft as butter. Can’t hit the side of a barn and was a nobody in the playoffs.
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Mikheyev has been one of the best defensive players this year, wins puck battles and has been great on the PK. He's also created a ton a of chances and has been snake bitten. He was on a 48 pt pace last year as a rookie and only makes 1.6M for this year and next. He is not a useless player and the points will come. As for the playoffs, the guy hadn't played in 8 months after taking a serious tendon injury in the wrist. So I wouldn't exactly expect him to hit the ground running.

I like Bennett but he is nothing more than a 4th line winger who just plays with a little bite and makes 2.5M. His best year was his rookie year 5 years ago where he had 36 pts. He barely outscored Gauthier last year.
 
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It's naive to pencil Bennett in the top 6 when he hasn't shown the ability in a 5-year career so far. At best he could be slotted in on the third line with occasional fourth line time until he can prove himself a bit more.

His style of play would slide nicely along Matthews or Tavares though so there's opportunity if he plays well.

He provides more jam and physicality than Vesey which would be a nice add. But I don't see how the Leafs make it fit personally with cap and which players go back.

Have to imagine a lesser team with a hole in their top 6 will give a mid-round pick and give him a shot.
 
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Bennett doesn’t pick his spots. He’s a tough customer.

Would be a great addition to this team. The more warriors the better.

As you know our team is built around elite firepower.

We could use another player or two that plays with a chip on their shoulder.

Anything to insulate the elite and offer protection is a positive.
 
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The Podium said:
Have to add that this may be the perfect storm opportunity for Toronto. They have reportedly been looking for a forward with some speculation about Bobby Ryan, Bennett wouldnt have to quarantine already being in Canada, Bennett adds the type of game weve been looking for and is an RFA at contracts end. Not only that but he becomes available right as Toronto starts their week off. Potentially may have been a calculated move by Ferris, targeting Toronto as a potential landing spot.
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I think 7 day quarantine for Bennett, when Stützle came from WJC bubble to Ottawa, had to quarantine 7 days.
 
ottomaddox said:
Doesn't Sam Bennett want out because he wants a bigger role? How the heck is he going to get that in Toronto?

Thread Closed.
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it would all come down to Whether he could be a true checking C. That’s clearly what Keefe wants.

I only really watch Bennett in playoffs and he always looks great. Real gritty and clutch. Cant speak to the rest though. So who knows if he can handle it.

I would try to offer Lowry 3 mill as a ufa myself. But who knows if that will work. I don’t see Bennett getting a raise.
 
Golden_Jet said:
I think 7 day quarantine for Bennett, when Stützle came from WJC bubble to Ottawa, had to quarantine 7 days.
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He came from a different bubble though. If we make the trade today Bennett only misses two games with a week quarantine, not a big deal. Not sure if it works with our salary cap yet though.
 
Sam Bennett was playing center for Calgary on a checking line with Dube and Lucic in the playoffs and did quite well statistically with 10 GP 5 G 3 A and 8 PTS.

This video has a lot of footage of him being super aggressive on the forecheck and running defensemen into the end boards on many zone entries which results in some spectacular lose pucks flying out to awaiting teammates. You almost feel bad for Pionk and Morrissey. I like this element because we don't have a lot of guys who love to do this on a regular basis. I can just imagine how effective this would be in a 7 game series when guys like Krug and McAvoy are consistently disrupted whenever they go to retrieve a puck and we need to open things up. The goals and assists are buried in the video too, but I don't think we'd be looking primarily at his production anyway so you can just watch at your leisure.



He's probably too expensive to acquire at his current cap hit, but would love to revisit this after the expansion draft if he'd come to Toronto for a Wayne Simmonds type contract.
 
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Stephen said:
Sam Bennett was playing center for Calgary on a checking line with Dube and Lucic in the playoffs and did quite well statistically with 10 GP 5 G 3 A and 8 PTS.

This video has a lot of footage of him being super aggressive on the forecheck and running defensemen into the end boards on many zone entries which results in some spectacular lose pucks flying out to awaiting teammates. You almost feel bad for Pionk and Morrissey. I like this element because we don't have a lot of guys who love to do this on a regular basis. I can just imagine how effective this would be in a 7 game series when guys like Krug and McAvoy are consistently disrupted whenever they go to retrieve a puck and we need to open things up. The goals and assists are buried in the video too, but I don't think we'd be looking primarily at his production anyway so you can just watch at your leisure.



He's probably too expensive to acquire at his current cap hit, but would love to revisit this after the expansion draft if he'd come to Toronto for a Wayne Simmonds type contract.
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He was also thrown onto the top line line against Colorado in the 2019 playoffs and outplayed both Monahan and Gaudreau. He's consistently performed in the playoffs and could still carve out a career as a Hyman-type mucker.
 
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Korg said:
He was also thrown onto the top line line against Colorado in the 2019 playoffs and outplayed both Monahan and Gaudreau. He's consistently performed in the playoffs and could still carve out a career as a Hyman-type mucker.
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Yeah the Hyman comparison would be a good one in terms of what we can expect. With some untapped upside potentially.
 
OK, non-educated opinion based on what little I know about Sam Bennett.

Very highly rated draft prospect...good
Not higher than 13 goals the last 4 seasons...bad
Still only 24 years old...good
Could not do one single pull up at the draft combine...bad
Always has good statistical playoffs...good
Makes too much money for a 4th line guy...bad
Appears to be settled in as a winger not a centre...bad
A minus player every season of his career...bad


So my 10,000 foot take on this guy is he is super talented but doesn't bring it every night but will bring it for important games. The fact that he didn't train hard enough in his draft year to do a single pull up tells me he doesn't like to put the work in. Being a playoff performer has value (See Kadri) but at what cost???
 
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Golden_Jet said:
I think 7 day quarantine for Bennett, when Stützle came from WJC bubble to Ottawa, had to quarantine 7 days.
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I don't think he has to quarantine since he is already in Canada.

Roslovic was able to play for Columbus right away (or I think he missed one game because he needed to get up to speed first) because he stayed in the US.
 
The Iceman said:
OK, non-educated opinion based on what little I know about Sam Bennett.

Very highly rated draft prospect...good
Not higher than 13 goals the last 4 seasons...bad
Still only 24 years old...good
Could not do one single pull up at the draft combine...bad
Always has good statistical playoffs...good
Makes too much money for a 4th line guy...bad
Appears to be settled in as a winger not a centre...bad
A minus player every season of his career...bad


So my 10,000 foot take on this guy is he is super talented but doesn't bring it every night but will bring it for important games. The fact that he didn't train hard enough in his draft year to do a single pull up tells me he doesn't like to put the work in. Being a playoff performer has value (See Kadri) but at what cost???
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But he comes with his choice of toppings.
The toppings are also cursed.
 
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The Iceman said:
OK, non-educated opinion based on what little I know about Sam Bennett.

Very highly rated draft prospect...good
Not higher than 13 goals the last 4 seasons...bad
Still only 24 years old...good
Could not do one single pull up at the draft combine...bad
Always has good statistical playoffs...good
Makes too much money for a 4th line guy...bad
Appears to be settled in as a winger not a centre...bad
A minus player every season of his career...bad


So my 10,000 foot take on this guy is he is super talented but doesn't bring it every night but will bring it for important games. The fact that he didn't train hard enough in his draft year to do a single pull up tells me he doesn't like to put the work in. Being a playoff performer has value (See Kadri) but at what cost???
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Pretty much boils it down.

I think he is maybe slightly better version of Clifford. What did the Leafs pay for Clifford at 50%? We paid a mid-3rd, another 3rd which could become a 2nd, and Trevor Moore for both him and Jack Campbell, so realistically he can't be worth more than like Moore and a 3rd?

Engvall, 4th and a prospect is probably an equitable package for Bennett at 50%. That is the ceiling.
 
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Guy Boucher said:
I would like the Leafs to get Sam Bennett...

...in the off-season, after Calgary decides not to qualify him because he's so overpaid, and the leafs sign him to a Jimmy Vesey-like contract.
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Ding ding ding.

I'd like him as a sub $1 million guy who can try and rehab his career at the bottom of our lineup and work his way up if he somehow turns is career around. Playing in Toronto might light a fire under him, but not at the money he makes.
 
SeaOfBlue said:
Pretty much boils it down.

I think he is maybe slightly better version of Clifford. What did the Leafs pay for Clifford at 50%? We paid a mid-3rd, another 3rd which could become a 2nd, and Trevor Moore for both him and Jack Campbell, so realistically he can't be worth more than like Moore and a 3rd?

Engvall, 4th and a prospect is probably an equitable package for Bennett at 50%. That is the ceiling.
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I actually think Zach Hyman might be a decent starting point for what Bennett could be utilized as, and this is based on his wrecking ball playoff performances. Hyman didn't make the NHL full time till he was 24. His offense was also non existent at Bennett-ish levels until his second year and then started improving (while playing significant time on the top line).

Bennett is 24. Big drop off from his draft projections from 2014, but we don't know exactly how Calgary mishandled him over the years. If he can get him cheap like you say and let him play that rambunctious style on a lower line, I see that as a win. We wouldn't be investing a 4th overall pick on him.
 
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The Podium said:
Big problem with trading for Bennett is his qualifying offer will be 2.5 mill
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He would almost be a better option to sign as a UFA when he's not tendered a qualifying offer.

"Come be a Leaf on a 2x year $900K AAV deal, get some reps on the third line, and we'll slot you in the top 6 once in a while."
 
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