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Sam Bennett

Florida Panthers Expected To Acquire Sam Bennett

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The Calgary Flames have begun to move out some of the disappointing core, working on a trade that will send Sam Bennett to the Florida Panthers according to several reports including Chris Johnston of Sportsnet. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that the Flames will receive a 2022 second-round pick and prospect Emil Heineman. Florida will also get a 2022 sixth-round pick.

Bennett, 24, was the fourth overall pick in 2014, the same draft the Panthers took Aaron Ekblad first. The grinding forward just hasn’t been able to turn himself into any sort of an offensive player, scoring just 140 points in 402 career games. This year he has four goals and 12 points in 38 games, just not anywhere near effective enough to stick around in Calgary’s long-term plans.

The interesting thing with Bennett is that almost every time the Flames have taken the ice in the postseason, he has been one of the most effective players in the game. In 30 career playoff games he has 11 goals and 19 points while racking up a whopping 107 hits, and 71 shots on goal. If Bennett could find a way to bring that level of play to every night of the regular season, he could be a huge presence in the Florida lineup.

At this point though, it’s surprising that the Flames landed even a second-round pick for Bennett, let alone a prospect as well. Heineman isn’t one to overlook either; he was selected 43rd overall in 2020 and is coming off an impressive season in the SHL as a teenager. Heineman hasn’t signed his entry-level contract yet, but he’s a nice prospect to add to the cupboard for Calgary.

Florida is obviously betting that they can turn Bennett’s career around, but they also have to deal with a contract negotiation this summer. The 24-year-old will be an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent at the end of the year and will need a $2.55MM qualifying offer from the team.

It’s that playoff production that the Panthers are likely betting on, as Florida has their sights set on really contending for the Stanley Cup this season. Even if Bennett can just give them a boost in this year’s postseason he would be a worthy rental, if an expensive one.

Snapshots: Bennett, Niemela, Ovechkin

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Sam Bennett is expected to be a healthy scratch again tonight for the Calgary Flames, according to Darren Dreger of TSN. Bennett, whose agent made it clear that a change of scenery would be welcome earlier this season, has been on quite the roller coaster. Suiting up on the fourth line one game, the first line beside Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau another, to finding himself in the press box watching, there has been very little consistency to his 22 games.

Still, there’s just not enough offensive production from Bennett no matter where he is plugged in. With just three goals and four points on the year, he is once again disappointing the Flames, who have now waited nearly seven years for Bennett to fulfill his fourth-overall status. His best offensive season was his rookie year when he scored 18 goals and 36 points.

  • The Toronto Maple Leafs won’t have Topi Niemela in the system next season, as the young defenseman has signed a one-year extension with his Finnish club for the 2021-22 season. Niemela, 18, was the 64th pick in the 2020 draft but has already seen his stock rise after being named the best defenseman at the recent World Junior tournament. He has recorded four points in 15 games for Karpat this season and will stay overseas for at least another year.
  • Trent Frederic might not be so quick to get in Alex Ovechkin’s face the next time they meet, after a spearing incident last night. Ovechkin has been fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for “cup-checking” Frederic after the two had several meetings throughout the game. Frederic, who fought Tom Wilson earlier this season, had challenged Ovechkin earlier in the game, but the veteran spurned the offer. The young Bruins forward has shown a willingness to engage anyone in the league but still hasn’t added much offense—just two goals and three NHL points—since being selected with the 29th pick in 2016.

Edmonton’s Slater Koekkoek Out Months With Broken Collarbone

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Feb 22: Koekkoek has been placed on long-term injured reserve. That means he must miss at least ten games and 24 days, though it is expected he will not play again this season.

Feb 21: The Edmonton Oilers focused on defensive depth and fortunately they did. The team has a number of defensemen currently out with injuries and the list got longer as Slater Koekkoek is expected to be out long-term as he has a broken collarbone, according to TSN’s Jason Gregor. While no official announcement has been made, it is believed the blueliner will be out for a minimum of two to three months, likely keeping him out of the lineup for the rest of the regular season, at least.

Koekkoek says he was injured on his first shift of the game Saturday against the Calgary Flames when he took a hit from Sam Bennett. While hardly a top-pairing defenseman, Koekkoek seemed to have found a home in Edmonton with some solid play on the team’s third pairing. He has appeared in 17 of the team’s 20 games this season, while averaging 12:55 of ATOI. He has one goal this season and 29 blocked shots.

The 27-year-old blueliner has bounced around the last few years after being drafted 10th overall in 2012 by the Tampa Bay Lightning. Koekkoek was never able to find a regular rotation spot with the Lightning and later was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks for Jan Rutta. He did play in a career-high 42 games with the Blackhawks last year with a goal and 10 points before signing with Edmonton during the offseason.

The team is already without Oskar Klefbom (shoulder, out for the season), Ethan Bear (head, out since Jan. 30), William Lagesson (upper-body, out past three games) and now Koekkoek isn’t helping with their depth issues. Not that he was expected to help, but in a separate tweet, Gregor notes that defensive prospect Dmitri Samorukov, who is on loan to the KHL this season, is also out for the season after suffering a shoulder injury in practice. The team has recalled defenseman Theodor Lennstrom, who has been playing with Bakersfield of the AHL and now has been moved to the team’s taxi squad.

Brad Treliving Discusses Sam Bennett’s Trade Request

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Last month, some eyebrows were raised when Flames forward Sam Bennett’s trade request became public through comments from his agent Darren Ferris.  Calgary GM Brad Treliving decided to comment on the matter on Friday in an interview with Sportsnet 960 (audio link):

A few weeks ago, I think we all saw, Sam’s agent decided to have a conversion with the media in talking about changes of scenery and all that.  We’ll determine, whether it be Sam Bennett or anybody else, what their scenery is and when it’s going to change.

Until such time, Sam is a member of the Calgary Flames. He’s like every other member of the Calgary Flames. We think Sam is a hell of a player and we expect him to be a real good player here, and we’ll go from there.

It has been somewhat of a rocky six seasons in Calgary for the 2014 fourth-overall pick.  His offensive game hasn’t improved much over the years with his most productive campaign coming in his rookie year when he had 18 goals and 18 assists, more than respectable numbers as a junior-aged player.  However, he hasn’t had more than 27 points in a single season since then.

But when the playoffs have come around, Bennett has been a much bigger contributor.  He had five goals in 10 games in the bubble last summer to lead the team while also chipping in with 54 hits.  Power forwards are hard to come by and his playoff performances keep earning him extra chances with the Flames.

Unfortunately for both him and the team, he hasn’t been able to bring that same level of performance to the regular season.  He has just two goals and an assist this season despite spending time both at center and on the wing, at times as high as the top line.  He was made a healthy scratch not long after his trade request and wound up sitting for the entire third period last night with head coach Geoff Ward not pleased about his performance.

While Treliving is understandably displeased that Bennett’s trade request went public (especially after not informing the team of it first), this could soon be a situation where a move winds up being best for both sides.  Bennett is in the final year of a two-year, $5.1MM deal and is owed a $2.55MM qualifying offer this summer to retain his RFA rights.  If he continues to struggle offensively, it would be a risk to qualify him and give him arbitration eligibility while working out a deal to avoid that seems unlikely given the trade request.  There’s still time for him to turn things around before the April 12th trade deadline but Bennett is going to be at the forefront of trade speculation for a while yet regardless of Treliving’s comments.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Latest On Calgary’s Sam Bennett

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Over the last couple of weeks, it has felt like Sam Bennett has had one skate out the door in Calgary. The Flames forward, although he denies formally requesting a trade, was believed to be upset with his role in Calgary and wanting out. This reportedly came as a surprise to the team initially, but it also seemed like they too were working toward moving Bennett, an idea fueled by a healthy scratch for the young forward days after the news emerged. Yet, as Daniel Austin writes for the Calgary Sun, it has suddenly grown very quiet on the Bennett front.

Part of this change, Austin notes, is simply because Bennett’s trade drama also aligned with several injuries up front for the Flames. Derek Ryan, Elias Lindholm, and most recently Mikael Backlund have all been sidelined for various lengths of time. The Flames need Bennett in the lineup right now. The other major change is where exactly in the lineup Bennett has been playing. Amidst the chaos of Bennett’s unknown future with the team, head coach Geoff Ward made the decision to move Bennett to the top line with stars Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan. Bennett responded to the promotion with his first two goals of the season over the past four games. While Bennett is still struggling this season relative to his past seasons, his teammates, and his expectations as a top-five NHL Draft pick, his play has noticeably picked up of late.

The question of course, as posed by The Athletic’s Eric Duhatschek last week, is why the lineup change was made. Was Ward honestly trying to repair the relationship with Bennett by showing him that the organization trusts him and sees his top-six upside despite his recent struggles and historic inability to hold down the role? Possibly, but it does sound like somewhat of a stretch. The alternative reason could be, in light of Bennett’s desire to leave Calgary, that the team decided to showcase his ability for a while in an effort to maximize a possible return. Given that injuries had shuffled the lineup anyhow, this seems like a very plausible reason for the timing of the move.

The underlying issue for the Flames is that, while they honestly may not want to trade Bennett, both sides stand to benefit. As Duhatschek writes, Bennett represented an impending Expansion Draft problem well before his trade request. The Flames can protect, at most, seven forwards from selection in the draft. With a deep and talented forward corps, Gaudreau, Monahan, Lindholm, and of course Matthew Tkachuk are already locks for protection while Backlund and Andrew Mangiapane also seem like safe bets. If Milan Lucic does not waive his No-Movement Clause, that is your group of seven. Even if he does waive, Calgary will still have to decide between Bennett and the younger, more dynamic Dillon Dube. Whichever of the two they don’t protect seems very likely to be the selection of the Seattle Kraken. As a result, the Flames have to wonder why they would keep a disgruntled Bennett this season to either lose him in expansion or to lose Dube instead and hope Bennett’s production and attitude improve moving forward.

Bennett allegedly wants out of Calgary and the Flames have a very valid reason to trade him. Yet, it has grown quiet on the rumor mill. It could be the timing of injuries or the team wanting to extend Bennett’s stint on the top line as they field offers. Either way, this situation seems far from resolved. Without a major boost in production this season or another major injury or transactional shake-up to the roster, it is difficult to see the relationship between Bennett and Flames lasting the season.

Trade Rumors: Bennett, DeAngelo, Stepan

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As if there weren’t enough whispers surrounding Calgary Flames forward Sam Bennett, his healthy scratch last night did not help. The news emerged well ahead of the Flames’ game on Thursday that Bennett would not play and TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that speculation swelled across the league that this implied Bennett was available for trade. Bennett’s play has improved of late and the player himself even told the media that the scratch came as a surprise. However, with Bennett wanting out of Calgary – though he would not confirm a formal trade request – perhaps the Flames want to look at other internal options who could take Bennett’s place, as well as protect the health of their trade asset. With that said, Dreger warns not to get too excited. He says a trade is certainly not imminent, which harkens back to the Flames own admission that they would not rush to trade Bennett and may not move him at all if they cannot find the right deal.

  • As for the possibility of a trade involving Bennett and another player on the block, New York Rangers defenseman Anthony DeAngelo, there are mixed reports. On Wednesday, Bob McKenzie reported on the NBC Sports broadcast that the Calgary Flames were among four or five teams that had interest in the “reclamation project” that is DeAngelo. A talented, but polarizing player, DeAngelo could be of interest to any number of teams, so even a Calgary team with good defensive depth would not be a major surprise. However, Sportsnet’s Flames beat writer Eric Francis dispelled the rumors of Calgary interest in DeAngelo. He also reiterated that the team will take their time with a Bennett trade and will not rush into a deal for another player on the rumor mill.
  • The other teams mentioned by McKenzie as kicking the tires on DeAngelo: the Anaheim Ducks, Detroit Red Wings, and Los Angeles Kings. As rebuilding teams, taking a chance on the talent and youth of DeAngelo makes a ton of sense for any of these clubs. Considering that DeAngelo has already cleared waivers as well, Detroit or L.A. could also convince New York to add a draft pick to the trade, while Anaheim may be more interested in the Rangers retaining some of DeAngelo’s $4.8MM salary.
  • Despite an impressive win over the rival Montreal Canadiens on Thursday, the season has not gone as planned so far for the Ottawa Senators. After adding some veterans to the roster this off-season, the team hoped the influx of experience and talent combined with their considerable youth and upside would result in more wins. Thus far, they have the league’s worst record at 2-8-1. As a result, changes could be coming to the roster. The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch reports that one major change could be a quick flip of veteran center Derek Stepan. Stepan was acquired right before training camp in a trade with the Arizona Coyotes but has failed to make much of an impact for the Senators. He has just three points and -7 rating through ten games, averaging just two shots per game and on pace for the worst possession numbers of his career. It is believed that Stepan is as unhappy with his role in Ottawa as the Senators are in his production. A separation could be coming soon  since the veteran still has value across the league, especially on an expiring contract. Stepan, 30, is a durable, two-way center who has scored at a 40-point pace or better in each of nine NHL season prior to last year.

Trade Rumors: Bennett, DeAngelo, Goaltending

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Following up on a report yesterday that the Calgary Flames were “blindsided” by rumors of forward Sam Bennett’s discontent with his current situation, TSN’s Darren Dreger reported during this evening’s edition of “Insider Trading” that the club is in no rush to trade the young forward. Of course, Bennett has not formally requested a trade anyhow and the Flames are not feeling any pressure to rush into a move. Instead, Dreger states that this is a matter of “if” rather than “when” as it pertains to a Bennett deal. Calgary will only trade Bennett, the 2014 fourth overall pick, if they can find a perfect fit. Otherwise, they expect to retain the forward. Dreger notes than many within the organization still feel that Bennett can be an impact player and would rather work through the issues of his role on the team rather than move him, especially at discount price. One way or another, the time is coming for the Flames to make a decision on Bennett; if he is not traded this season then the team will need to fully commit by protecting him in the upcoming Expansion Draft. If not, they risk a strong chance of losing him for nothing to the soon-to-be division rival Seattle Kraken.

  • While he may have cleared waivers on Monday, and amidst some ugly rumors at that, there is no shortage of interest in New York Rangers defenseman Tony DeAngelo. While he may not play for the Rangers ever again, per the team’s own pronouncement, he most certainly will continue to play in the NHL. Dreger reports that there is “a ton of interest” in DeAngelo on the trade market. He feels that a resolution to his fall out with the Rangers is imminent, expecting a trade within the next few days. DeAngelo’s ability, especially in the offensive aspects of the game, are clear, but some felt that his clearance on the waiver wire might have indicated that teams were hesitant to take on the alleged behavioral issues. Instead, it seems teams were more inclined to DeAngelo clear waivers to gain that extra layer of flexibility, as well as to gain the possibility of receiving additional trade capital or possibly some retained salary in a trade with the Rangers.
  • Most NHL teams prepared for an unusually dense schedule this season by ensuring that they had a concrete goalie tandem and in many cases additional depth in net. However, for those with remaining concerns or those who have been impacted by injury, the need for multiple options at net minder is about to become even more crucial. Dreger reports that with the growing frequency of COVID-related postponements across the league, the NHL is going to have little option but to hand a number of teams very difficult make-up schedules toward the latter half of the season. Specifically, Dreger notes that there is a real chance that teams will face five games in a seven night span, perhaps even on several occasions. A capable No. 2 and a reliable No. 3 in case of injury will be absolutely necessary with no starter being able to handle such a heavy workload. With few options remaining on the free agent market, trade talks will likely heat up for those contending teams who need the wins more than others with goalies to spare.

Update On Sam Bennett, Victor Mete

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Over the weekend Darren Ferris, the agent for both Sam Bennett and Victor Mete, voiced some displeasure through the media. First Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported that Bennett hoped for a change of scenery, not using the term trade request but implying that the young forward would welcome a move. Then later that evening, several reports surfaced of Mete also wanting out, this time from the Montreal Canadiens where he had not played a single game this season.

Both players obviously want more opportunity, but both the Flames and Canadiens have since denied that formal trade requests were made. Today, Eric Francis of Sportsnet published a piece examining the situation in Calgary, reporting that though the organization does not question Friedman’s report, they were “blindsided” by it. They had not been given a trade request from Bennett or his agent and will not comment on the matter publicly. That’s not to say Bennett doesn’t want out, just that the two sides were not on the same page.

Meanwhile, in Montreal, GM Marc Bergevin quickly told Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic on Saturday that he wouldn’t be trading Mete, but it appears the agent’s gambit may have worked in part. The young defenseman will be in the lineup tonight against the Vancouver Canucks, skating on a pair with rookie Alexander Romanov as Brett Kulak draws out. This could have been Montreal’s plan all along—in fact, head coach Claude Julien tells Eric Engels of Sportsnet exactly that—but it certainly is coincidental that Mete would receive his first game of the season less than 48 hours after the agent went public with his displeasure.

At any rate, it appears as though Mete will get a chance to prove he belongs in the Montreal lineup. Bennett, who was already in the lineup but being deployed on the third or fourth line, is a story to keep an eye on. If he truly wants out, you can bet the situation will likely get worse before it gets better.

Sam Bennett Looking For Change Of Scenery

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The Calgary Flames are off to a shaky start this season with just two wins in their first five games and now may have a brewing controversy as well. According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, Sam Bennett’s agent Darren Ferris would like Calgary to consider a change of scenery for his client, though the term “trade request” was not actually used. Friedman notes that the team is in no rush to move the young forward.

Bennett, 24, was selected with the fourth overall pick in 2014 but never really became the top-six center the Flames hoped for, instead settling into a third (or even sometimes fourth) line role. Last season he scored just eight goals and 12 points in 52 games and this year he still hasn’t found the back of the net. He’s been overtaken by other young forwards in the Flames lineup, likely meaning he won’t ever get much more responsibility than he has right now.

On the second season of a two-year, $5.1MM contract ($2.55MM cap hit), Bennett is scheduled to become a restricted free agent after this season. His poor offensive performance will limit what he can demand in arbitration, but there is one thing that would be in his favor in negotiations.

While Bennett’s regular seasons have been underwhelming or downright dreadful, he always seems to be one of the team’s best players in the playoffs. Last summer, Bennett had five goals and eight points in ten postseason matches, leading the Flames in both categories. That performance plus the willingness to engage physically and ability to play center will certainly draw interest, though it does seem like it would be difficult for the Flames to really get a lot of value for the soon-to-be RFA.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Calgary Flames Announce List Of Playoff Injuries

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The Calgary Flames will have several months to think about their collapse in the first round, but the time off will also let them recover from some serious injuries. Flames GM Brad Treliving spoke to reporters today including Kristen Anderson of the Calgary Sun and explained that Matthew Tkachuk, Rasmus Andersson and Sam Bennett were all dealing with major injuries by the end of the postseason.

Tkachuk, who sat out the final four games against the Dallas Stars, was dealing with a concussion and was still in the league’s protocol when the team was eliminated. The injury was sustained against the Stars and took arguably Calgary’s most effective offensive piece out of the lineup for the most important games of the season. Tkachuk, who had 61 points in 69 games this season to lead the Flames, was forced to watch from the press box as they gave up seven consecutive goals in game six.

Andersson meanwhile was playing with a broken foot, an injury that he suffered during the qualification round against the Winnipeg Jets. The 23-year old defenseman still managed to average close to 23 minutes a night in the Dallas series, recording four points in six games and arguably being the Flames most consistent defenseman. After posting 22 points in 70 games this season Andersson appears to be one of the pillars that Calgary can build around moving forward.

Bennett apparently tore a triceps muscle in the qualification round, which certainly answers why he was taking so few faceoffs in the postseason. The gritty centerman took just 29 draws across the six-game series, with linemate Milan Lucic (and career winger) routinely moving into the dot for him instead. Bennett actually led the team in scoring during the postseason, recording five goals and eight points in ten games—despite registering just 12 points in 52 regular season contests.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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