Calgary Flames GM Brad Treliving recently sat down for an extensive interview with TSN's Bob McKenzie to preview the upcoming year.
Treliving touched on a lot of different topics but his comments about Sam Bennett in particular stood out.
Flames coach Bob Hartley has already stated that the plan is for Sam Bennett to play center this season. Treliving not only confirmed that but hinted at how he may be utilized.
"For Sam he's still a young player. We're not going to overburden him with expectations or dump him into the deep end from Day 1. He's gotta find his game at his pace. I know the staff is going to work with him extensively. We're going to push him...When you look at our center position - and we're going to put him at center ice - with Sean Monahan there, Mikael Backlund, Matt Stajan, as well as other players that are able to play center ice, there's not a need for him to be overwhelmed. There's not a need to put him in situations where he may or may not have success."
The Flames are going to hold Bennett's hand through this process and are not going to ask him to carry the load when they have other guys who can.
That's something Treliving really hammered home.
"When you look at the depth that we have at the position, you look at the experience we have and there's not a need to put him in a position where it could be overwhelming for him."
Treliving's quotes tell us Bennett will not be playing against top competition or logging heavy defensive minutes until he proves he's more than ready for it. I think that's the way to go, too. The NHL is a tough league to grow up in and it doesn't make sense to ask him to play over his head when there is plenty of help around him.
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