Question 2: Why do you think it’s taking so long to re-sign Sam Bennett?
Jonathan Boulanger
Because Bennett is a wildcard and no one including himself is quite sure what type of player he is. It’s certainly going to be south of 6 million and a bridge deal, since he still has a lot to prove.
Ian Gustafson
It’s probably taking so long for them to sign Sam Bennett because he’s probably asking for more than Treliving is willing to give. I really don’t think it will take them much longer. They will have him signed by the start of the season.
Tomas Oppolzer
I think the sides just want something different. With Monahan and Gaudreau both sides obviously wanted longer term deals, both players had performed well on their ELCs. With Bennett, though, he hasn’t really. The Flames probably still see a lot of promise in him and think this is their chance to get him to a long, low cap-hit contract. Meanwhile, Bennett’s side almost certainly wants a lower term (1-2 year) deal so Bennett can prove himself. I’m sure the deal will get done, but the negotiation can’t be easy.
Benjamin Prokopy
I wrote about this very topic in one of my first Flame for Thought articles about a month ago. So, rather than go into it all again, I’ll expand on it a little.
Related Story: What's Taking Sam Bennett's Contract so Long?
If the Jagr rumour is true, then I would think signing Bennett would be a priority for no reason other than understanding how much cap room is left to pay number 68. Having said that, if Flames fans have learned anything about Brad Treliving in the last few years, it is that he is in no rush to make these deals. We all remember Gaudreau’s eleventh hour signing. Heck, even Treliving’s own contract didn’t materialize as fast as some would have preferred.
I’d speculate that the GM’s patience comes from a number of different places.
First, he’s willing to wait these players out to get the deal he wants. Gaudreau’s salary, for instance, is very agreeable considering what he means to the Flames. I’m sure Bennett, like Gaudreau, is asking for more money and a longer contract term than perhaps Treliving is willing to give. If that is the case, it would seem that he will not be pressured by such deadlines as the start of training camp to sign an agreement he does not believe benefits the team.
Secondly, such delays may be the NHL’s new normal when dealing with higher profile RFA’s. Recall last year that Nikita Kucherov did not sign with the Tampa Bay Lightning until October. Similarly, that other team in Alberta did not come to terms with Leon Draisaitl until mid-August. It may be a new standard operating procedure to extend these negotiations.
Finally, I believe that Treliving wants to explore his options thoroughly. In my article, I mentioned that Bennett is the Flames most movable asset. He’s got tremendous upside, but the team is rich at the centre ice position. He’s got top-6 potential, but will remain on the bottom six unless Sean Monahan falls into a deep, dark hole. He is the team’s best option for obtaining either a serviceable right-winger, a 2018 draft pick sometime before the 4th round, or both. As such, a sign-and-trade situation is not out of the question.
Dan Raicevich
I personally believe this is the main reason Jagr hasn’t signed with the Calgary Flames, Sam Bennett remaining unsigned. I think the Flames and Bennett’s camp might be taking time to mull over a shorter, bridge deal while contemplating a long term deal as well. While his agent is trying to get the former high end draft pick the most money possible, I think Sam Bennett would be smart to settle for a bridge deal at around 2-2.5 million per year.
Bennett is unquestionably a full time NHLer. We are past that phase of debating that statement. Now its a matter of where he fits into the lineup. He will have a bounce back year in 2017-18, but I think Bennett needs to just focus on being the most complete player possible. He has a compete level through the roof, a skill set that is second to none. Sam Bennett could improve and be on his way to being a dominant third line center or even a very good second line center as well.
Ramina Shlah
Like everyone else said, Treliving and Bennett both probably want different things. I think he’ll definitely be signing a bridge-deal for somewhere around $2-3 million. I actually analyzed how much he’ll be making, and it was somewhere between $2.75 million and $3.3 million, but now I don’t think it’ll be more than $3 million with how long negotiations are taking.
When Brad Treliving wants a deal, he normally gets his way (he’s a great negotiator in that way), so I don’t think Bennett will end up getting more than what Flames management wants to give him. And we definitely won’t be a seeing a Jagr signing before the Bennett signing is done.
I just hope he doesn’t miss training camp because of negotiations taking this long.