The 20-year-old Calgary Flames centre had a disappointing season, but showed promise in the Playoffs and shouldn’t be given up on.
The highest the Calgary Flames have ever picked in the NHL Entry-Draft is 4th overall in 2014. With that pick, they chose Sam Bennett. Being the highest pick in a franchise’s history brings high expectations. Bennett has shown flashes of stardom in the NHL. Whether it’s the 4-goal-game against the Florida Panthers last season, or the remarkable tenacity he showed in the 2015 playoffs, it’s clear the kid’s got upside – Alot of it.
So why is he steadily falling down the Flames depth charts and is the subject of various trade talks among fans?
Well, #93 had a rough season. Actually, that’s an understatement. Let’s be blunt: Sam Bennett looked awful for a large portion of the year. With all the promise shown in his rookie-season, many had him pegged to have a monster year. Many had predicted Bennett to produce at an elite level for the Flames this year, possibly garnering 60 or 70 points and overtaking Sean Monahan for the #1 centre spot. Instead, he was invisible and far from a game-changer.
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The 2nd year forward had just 26 points (13 goals, 13 assists) in 81 games this year – A far cry from super-stardom.
However, he is still only 20 years old. The heavy criticism and impatience he is receiving from Flames fans is unwarranted. Sometimes young kids in the NHL require time in order for them to mature and grow as players. We wouldn’t want another Sven Baerstchi situation.
Calgary Flames
The last thing Flames fans would want is for Bennett to play poorly, get traded or sign elsewhere and become a superstar. Could you imagine if he were to play horribly for us next year (which would drop his trade stock), get traded to Vancouver and win an Art-Ross? Worst-case scenario I know, but that is precisely why letting Bennett come into his own is extremely important. Stick with the plan and the results will be worthwhile.
On the brighter-side of things, Bennett really turned it on in the playoffs and displayed his deadly combination of speed, skill and toughness on a few occasions. He also seemed to have turned things around for himself once Coach Gulutzan lit a fire under him. My favorite thing about him this year was his grit and tenacity. In the final quarter of the regular season, Bennett showed how tough and mean he can be by engaging in more than a few fights and throwing his weight around. This continued in the playoffs as he led the team in hits and acted as a sparkplug for the team.
Let’s face it. Sam Bennett isn’t Sidney Crosby, and he never will be. This year especially, he was far from on-par with #87. However, that doesn’t mean that Bennett can’t become an elite player. One bad year isn’t going to ruin his career. Trading him would be huge mistake. With all that talent and grit, if he puts in a good summer and comes to camp with a fresh mindset, who knows what could happen?
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Just watch, I’ll come back to this next year and Bennett will have broken Gretzky’s single-season point record.