Calgary Flames GM ‘would be shocked’ if Sam Bennett makes the team

By Cory Buck | Sep 3, 2014

Jun 27, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Samuel Bennett puts on a team sweater after being selected as the number four overall pick to the Calgary Flames in the first round of the 2014 NHL Draft at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

The Calgary Flames are in for another tough season in the 2014-15 NHL campaign. They were one of the worst teams in the league last year and they did little to immediately improve their prospects in the standings. That doesn’t mean there isn’t hope for the future. The team drafted talented forward Sam Bennett with the fourth overall pick this past June and while Flames GM Brad Treliving doesn’t see him making the squad this year, he likes what he has in the pipeline for the future.

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“I would be shocked [if Bennett sticks],” Treliving told Sportsnet. “He will have to come in here and show beyond a shadow of a doubt that, not only is he ready to be here, but this is what’s best for him.”

Treliving cites the top teams in the NHL as a reason for remaining patience with homegrown talent. He wants a steady base of players who haven’t been rushed to the pros.

"“I’ve studied a bunch of teams,” he said. “You look at L.A. You look at St. Louis. You look at Chicago. You look at Boston, Philadelphia… There are nuances in each, but the consistent theme is that they drafted well. And when they took that step, the core of their teams were homegrown players.”"

In addition to Bennett, Treliving plans to be patient with Hobey Baker winner Johnny Gaudreau, whose talent also has fans salivating.

"“I’m not down on Johnny Gaudreau at all. We’re dying for ability,” he said. “But we’ve seen it here before, where it’s, ‘Here’s the saviour.’ The expectation for me is… playing in the American League is hard. Stepping right in from the college to the NHL? Very few do it.”"

The Calgary Flames may be learning from past mistakes. In holding off young players from the NHL, they accomplish two things. First, they protect their future top liners from getting mauled on what will be another bad Flames team this year a la Sean Monahan last season. Second, they delay the beginning of Bennett’s and Gaudreau’s entry-level contract in the NHL. Essentially they’ll get more years of these players at rookie wages when the team will presumably be competitive.

Flames fans may not want to hear about patience after years of missing out on meaningful playoff games, but they should take heart in knowing that for once management has an eye on the long term future and success of the franchise.

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