This series features players the Calgary Flames drafted and—regrettably—moved on from too soon. Be prepared for pain, frustration, and anger as we delve into what could have been! Next is the sixth player on our list, Sam Bennett.
The series will consist of 10 players and five honourable mentions. The criteria for the players selected for this list were that they had a career of at least 500 National Hockey League games, the Flames moved on from the players in their mid-20s, and the players had a noteworthy career after leaving Calgary.
Why does Bennett make the list?
The Flames drafted Bennett fourth overall in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. He was—and remains to this day—the organization’s highest-ever draft pick. He showed a lot of promise when drafted despite famously being unable to complete a single pull-up.
Bennett scored an impressive 36 goals and 91 points in 57 games for the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs in his draft year. Unfortunately, a shoulder surgery sidelined him for most of the following season. Upon his return, though, Bennett played 11 games in the OHL, potting 11 goals and 24 points. In four playoff games, he added three more assists.
The Flames saw enough to give him a shot, and he debuted at the end of the regular season against the Winnipeg Jets. He played 16 minutes that night and recorded his first NHL point with an assist on his team’s lone goal in a 5–1 loss. The team made the playoffs that year and won their first playoff series since advancing to the Stanley Cup Final in 2003–04. Bennett played all 11 playoff games, scoring three goals and four points in mostly a depth role.
From that point, Bennett was a Calgary Flame. Over parts of seven seasons with the team, he played 402 games, scoring 67 goals and 140 points. Unfortunately, he spent most of his time as a Flame toiling away as a depth energy player. He averaged 14:08 time on ice with the Flames, dishing out 678 hits and collecting 319 penalties in minutes.
On April 12, 2021, the Flames dealt Bennett to the Florida Panthers. Bennett has played three seasons and change with the Panthers now, averaging 17:01 TOI primarily as a second-line centre. With his increased role, Bennett has 70 goals and 145 points in 213 games. He’s bested his numbers as a Flame in nearly half the time. Bennett has played back-to-back Cup Finals with the Panthers, capped off with a championship this year. He contributed 12 goals and 29 points in 39 games through both runs.
What did the Flames have to show for Bennett?
In return for Bennett (and a sixth-round pick in the 2022 draft), the Flames received prospect Emil Heineman and a second-round pick in 2022. On the surface, it’s not a bad return for what the Flames were sending. The issue is many Flames fans believed there was more to Bennett, but the team inexplicably refused to use him in a top-six centre role.
Less than a year later, Heineman was shipped off with other assets in the trade to acquire Tyler Toffoli from the Montreal Canadiens. About 16 months after acquiring him, the Flames sent Toffoli to the New Jersey Devils for Yegor Sharangovich and a 2023 third-round pick (Aydar Suniev).
The Flames dealt the second-round pick they received in the Bennett trade to the Seattle Kraken ahead of the 2021–22 trade deadline. They sent that pick, along with a seventh in 2024 and the above-mentioned Suniev pick, for Calle Jarnkrok, who left as a free agent following the season.
Summarizing how costly the Flames’ mistake was
It’s much easier to follow the draft pick they received in the trade, as it eventually became nothing. Evaluating the other side of the trade proves much more difficult. The Flames essentially dealt Heineman, Tyler Pitlick, a 2022 first (Filip Mesar), and a 2023 fifth (Yevgeni Volokhin) for Sharangovich and Suniev.
If I’m only looking at the trade when it was made, then I say it’s fine, at best. They received a decent prospect and a second-round pick for a bottom-six player, and you really can’t ask for much more than that. In hindsight, General Manager Craig Conroy saved the trade by getting good value for Toffoli. Suniev is an exciting prospect, and Sharangovich had a career year in Calgary, earning himself a nice payday.
Depending on how all the prospects involved develop, I could have an entirely different opinion in a few years. For now, though, I’ll give them a pass.
Do you agree with our assessment of the Flames’ handling of Bennett? Let us know your thoughts!
Check out all of The Win Column’s posts from this series:
Main list: #10 Jonas Hoglund | #9 Robert Svehla | #8 Travis Moen | #7 Steve Begin | #6 Sam Bennett | #5 Dion Phaneuf | #4 Derek Morris | #3 Jarret Stoll | #2 Craig Anderson | #1 Cory Stillman
Honourable mentions: #5 Michael Nylander | #4 Jean-Sebastien Giguere | #3 Sean Monahan | #2 Marc Savard | #1 Martin St. Louis
