Bennett aims to boost offensive output
Sam Bennett does a lot of things for the Calgary Flames.
Geoff Ward, Bennett's head coach, describes the 24-yearold's versatility as being a big part of what makes him such an asset to the team.
This year, though, Bennett wants to do more on the offensive end.
“It's really on me and my own expectations. I definitely want to contribute more offensively,” Bennett said after the second day of Flames training camp on Tuesday. “I want to be put in positions where I can succeed. I have to take advantage of the opportunity. I don't know if I'm going to get a tonne, so when I do get it, it's really on me to make the most of it.”
So far at camp, Bennett has been skating on a line with centre Mikael Backlund and right-winger Andrew Mangiapane. Flames management has repeatedly stressed that they'll be testing out line combinations throughout camp, so that could certainly change.
There were suggestions in the off-season that Bennett might even be used at centre this season, too, so his role could continually evolve throughout this shortened season.
That's something Bennett is comfortable with. If the Flames were to stick with a Mangiapane-backlundBennett third line, it would have some offensive upside that the team could surely use — especially if Bennett can start producing points more consistently.
“That's a big thing for all players in this league, you want to make sure that you're putting your game on the ice every night,” Ward said. “We talk to our guys an awful lot about playing your game. You guys have heard that from me an awful lot, bringing what you can to the table but also trying to do it on a consistent basis.
“If he can do those things, we're going to be extremely happy. He offers us an awful lot of versatility and an awful lot in different areas, so we want to tap into those things. At the end of the day the work ethic he brings to the table, the intensity he brings with his compete level, the consistency with the style of game that he plays, those are going to be all things in terms of him putting up more offensive numbers and achieving the goals he's set for himself.”
At 24-years-old, Bennett is far from a finished product. The question is where the next step in his development will take him. He's proven he can drop the gloves and play a grittier style of game, but he wasn't drafted fourth overall in the 2014 NHL Draft with the expectation that he'd be a lifelong grinder.
It might not be realistic to expect him to suddenly turn into a point-per-game player in his seventh season — and yes, plenty of ink has been spilled on potential breakout years for Bennett before — but he's shown flashes of game-changing abilities over the years, especially in the playoffs.
The way he performed in the Edmonton bubble last year provided another example. Bennett picked up eight points in 10 games, far outpacing the 12 points in 52 games he scored in the regular season.
The idea that Bennett is more dangerous when the playoffs roll around isn't new. The Flames won't complain if he finds an extra gear in this year's postseason, too, but Bennett himself is hoping to carry some of that energy into the regular season in 2021, too.
“I was getting a lot bigger opportunity in the playoffs and it was on me to take advantage of that and make the most of it,” Bennett said. “I thought I did a pretty good job and hopefully I can start off the year the same way I (played) last year and just go from there.”