Todd Cordell: Calgary Flames 2019-20 player profile: Sam Bennett

I hope Bennett gets a legit shot in the top6 on the right side. He has the skill & speed to play with those guys. Hopefully the goals will start to go in this year, if not he will at least provide some much needed physicality in that top group.

Johnny Money Tkachuk/Bennett
Bennett/Tkachuk Backlund Lindholm
Mangiapane Janko Czarnik/Dube
Lucic Ryan Dube/Czarnik
Phillips
Lomberg

Here's to hoping we don't waste any more roster spots by adding a bunch of useless vets on PTO's

I'd like the Flames to give Bennett a legit shot on the top line. The top line needs to be tougher to play against than it was last year. Bennett has the speed to keep up with Gaudreau and would be able to excel at the cycle game with Lindholm. He clearly hasn't been good enough to carry a line by himself, but he's also been saddled with chuds most of his career. 25-30 goals from Bennett playing with Gaudreau and Lindholm is definitely possible. I still think Bennett has all the skills to be a superstar, he just needs to get out of his own head.

Monahan can still probably get 30 goals playing with Tkachuck and having success without Gaudreau would really establish him as a legitimate star.

Backlund could use some reduced ice time and putting him on the third line to concentrate just on defence would probably benefit everyone.

Monahan and Gaudreau and Backlund and Tkachuck have played so much together that it would be super simple to just put the lines back they way they were if things didn't work out.

I'd like the Flames to give Bennett a legit shot on the top line. The top line needs to be tougher to play against than it was last year. Bennett has the speed to keep up with Gaudreau and would be able to excel at the cycle game with Lindholm. He clearly hasn't been good enough to carry a line by himself, but he's also been saddled with chuds most of his career. 25-30 goals from Bennett playing with Gaudreau and Lindholm is definitely possible. I still think Bennett has all the skills to be a superstar, he just needs to get out of his own head.

Monahan can still probably get 30 goals playing with Tkachuck and having success without Gaudreau would really establish him as a legitimate star.

Backlund could use some reduced ice time and putting him on the third line to concentrate just on defence would probably benefit everyone.

Monahan and Gaudreau and Backlund and Tkachuck have played so much together that it would be super simple to just put the lines back they way they were if things didn't work out.
- Hunkulese

Not a bad idea. Our center depth woud then be monstruous. I assume Lindholm would be the center on that new line?

I'd like the Flames to give Bennett a legit shot on the top line. The top line needs to be tougher to play against than it was last year. Bennett has the speed to keep up with Gaudreau and would be able to excel at the cycle game with Lindholm. He clearly hasn't been good enough to carry a line by himself, but he's also been saddled with chuds most of his career. 25-30 goals from Bennett playing with Gaudreau and Lindholm is definitely possible. I still think Bennett has all the skills to be a superstar, he just needs to get out of his own head.

Monahan can still probably get 30 goals playing with Tkachuck and having success without Gaudreau would really establish him as a legitimate star.

Backlund could use some reduced ice time and putting him on the third line to concentrate just on defence would probably benefit everyone.

Monahan and Gaudreau and Backlund and Tkachuck have played so much together that it would be super simple to just put the lines back they way they were if things didn't work out.
- Hunkulese

I don't think they even have to move Monahan, and I think Bennet's physicality to his game is better suited on the wing. If they are going to move him to the right side for Lucic, give him a legitimate shot on the top line with Monahan and Gaudreau. But give it some time to develop, not 1 or 2 games then give up on it.

Assuming that Frolik will be moved (have to get cap space for Tkachuk and highly unlikely that Brodie gets moved now) then Lindhold is a better fit with Backlund and Tkachuk. It happened many times last season already.

But give Bennett a real chance there. Make sure he knows he doesn't have to carry that line. That's what Gaudreau is there for. No he will never pan out the the hopes of a 4th over all pick, but if he knows his job there. Bank the defence, retrieve the puck like a dog on a bone, get it to Johnny then be ready to pounce on opportunities, then I think he can excel there. I believe part of (not all of) his troubles is that he hasn't been played with the higher end talent consistently and then tries to do too much on his own and that just isn't his game. I see him being a slightly less physical but higher offensive potential version of Ferland. And that was something that line greatly needs.

So Ek says Flames are possibly talking to the Blues about Gunnarsson. Okay. What would you guys as fans want for Tkachuk? Ha ha. I know it’s stupid but heck. Nothing else to talk about. Would Gunnarsson and Schenn be enough to get the rights to Tkachuk? Maybe throw in a high Prospect?

So Ek says Flames are possibly talking to the Blues about Gunnarsson. Okay. What would you guys as fans want for Tkachuk? Ha ha. I know it’s stupid but heck. Nothing else to talk about. Would Gunnarsson and Schenn be enough to get the rights to Tkachuk? Maybe throw in a high Prospect?
- BluesDroogie

Gunnarsson is a bottom pairing d-man and Schenn is UFA at year's end.

If you want the rights to Tkachuk, it has to be starting with Robert Thomas AND Dominik Bokk + Gunnarsson and Schenn.

Gunnarsson is a bottom pairing d-man and Schenn is UFA at year's end.

If you want the rights to Tkachuk, it has to be starting with Robert Thomas AND Dominik Bokk + Gunnarsson and Schenn.
- redseerpf

Ooohhhh. This hurts to say it but. What about Schwartz Gunnar and a high prospect. Maybe Kyrou

Thomas stays. He and Tkachuk can be roommates ha ha

If you’re taking Gunnar, Schenn, Bokk, and Thomas. You are throwing in someone else while also taking Bozak(not that I dislike him, but more so for his contract)

Ooohhhh. This hurts to say it but. What about Schwartz Gunnar and a high prospect. Maybe Kyrou

Thomas stays. He and Tkachuk can be roommates ha ha

If you’re taking Gunnar, Schenn, Bokk, and Thomas. You are throwing in someone else while also taking Bozak(not that I dislike him, but more so for his contract)
- BluesDroogie

Let's not kid ourselves here, Gunnar has close to no value. He's a bottom pairing d-man like you can find dozens of them around the league.

Schwartz in an interesting piece, but still, 2 years of an injury-prone 60 points guy is not enough as a cornerstone piece for a point-per-game 21 years old machine who's under control for at least 6 more years.

Tkachuk is just not up for sale. So if you want him, you'll have to overpay. Thomas + Bokk + Schenn + Gunnarsson is an interesting starting point, and we'll throw in Matthew Phillips because you've got such a nice smile.

Let's not kid ourselves here, Gunnar has close to no value. He's a bottom pairing d-man like you can find dozens of them around the league.

Schwartz in an interesting piece, but still, 2 years of an injury-prone 60 points guy is not enough as a cornerstone piece for a point-per-game 21 years old machine who's under control for at least 6 more years.

Tkachuk is just not up for sale. So if you want him, you'll have to overpay. Thomas + Bokk + Schenn + Gunnarsson is an interesting starting point, and we'll throw in Matthew Phillips because you've got such a nice smile.
- redseerpf

Ha ha ha ha ha.

McCovey is off the table. Errr. I mean Thomas is off the table. You must really like Bokk. I haven’t heard anything about him since he was drafted. Gunnar has little to no value agreed. Schenn has great value but contract is up. Not sure about the rules, can they negotiate an extension at this point or do they have to wait till January. Id keep Thomas but offer A combo of players between Bokk, Kyrou, and Kostin. If Schenn can sign an extension and agrees to a trade that would change the trade dramatically. Signed Schenn, Gunnar, and 1 of the 3 mentioned for Tkachuk. Okay since the Blues have to overpay at least a little(Chiarelli isn’t your gm by the way is he ). Blues add a 1st round pick as soon as they actually have 1

Ha ha ha ha ha.

McCovey is off the table. Errr. I mean Thomas is off the table. You must really like Bokk. I haven’t heard anything about him since he was drafted. Gunnar has little to no value agreed. Schenn has great value but contract is up. Not sure about the rules, can they negotiate an extension at this point or do they have to wait till January. Id keep Thomas but offer A combo of players between Bokk, Kyrou, and Kostin. If Schenn can sign an extension and agrees to a trade that would change the trade dramatically. Signed Schenn, Gunnar, and 1 of the 3 mentioned for Tkachuk. Okay since the Blues have to overpay at least a little(Chiarelli isn’t your gm by the way is he ). Blues add a 1st round pick as soon as they actually have 1
- BluesDroogie

I appreciate the effort, but you're not getting Tkachuk unless you're giving away your best young player, which is Thomas. Also, Schenn will likely command 8 per on his next deal, so why not just give that amount to Tkachuk if you're the Flames? He's younger and better.

I'm ready to downgrade the core player from Schenn to Schwartz, but Thomas is a lock in any Tkachuk trade.

Schwartz, Gunnar, Thomas, Kostin vs Tkachuk, Phillips

I appreciate the effort, but you're not getting Tkachuk unless you're giving away your best young player, which is Thomas. Also, Schenn will likely command 8 per on his next deal, so why not just give that amount to Tkachuk if you're the Flames? He's younger and better.

I'm ready to downgrade the core player from Schenn to Schwartz, but Thomas is a lock in any Tkachuk trade.

Schwartz, Gunnar, Thomas, Kostin vs Tkachuk, Phillips
- redseerpf

I guess that would be the deal breaker. Blues shouldn’t be willing to give up Thomas and another high prospect. I guess for a player of Tkachuks caliber it seems it should fit but that’s just hard to sell to the fans. Plus the money would have to fit Blues are damn near at the cap and possibly thinking of resigning Maroon.

Speaking of Maroon. Early in free agency it was reported locally he was going to you guys. Any word of that from your side? Wondering what happened. It was reported 3 yr deal

If there really was interest in Gunnar from Calgary I bet it would be a 2-4 round pick. Think it would basically be a salary dump on the Blues end. As it stands now every defenseman from last season is back with the Blues. They’d need 1 to go down to injury just for a call up and healthy scratch situation. Not ideal.

If there really was interest in Gunnar from Calgary I bet it would be a 2-4 round pick. Think it would basically be a salary dump on the Blues end. As it stands now every defenseman from last season is back with the Blues. They’d need 1 to go down to injury just for a call up and healthy scratch situation. Not ideal.
- BluesDroogie

Most likely won't be a deal between us. We don't have the cap-space and we should be able to find a serviceable 7th d for cheap (most likely some PTO's but we also have some guys in Stockton that should get a chance to step in).