Bennett surprised about being scratched. Will it happen again?
Sportsnet: Calgary Flames forward Sam Bennett said he was surprised by being a healthy scratch on Thursday.
“I didn’t see it coming,” he told reporters Friday. “I walked in and I was on the taxi squad and not dressing with the team, not skating with the team.”
Bennett wouldn’t comment on the trade request and said things are between GM Brad Treliving and agent Darren Ferris.
“My job right now is just to play hockey and do my job,” he said. “I think I’m just going to leave everything else to them and they’re going to figure it out.”
Flames head coach Geoff Ward said that it hasn’t been decided if Bennett will be back in the line up on Saturday.
Are the Flames any closer to trading Bennett? Are the Maple Leafs interested?
Sportsnet: Chris Johnston on Hockey Central when asked if the Calgary Flames are any closer to trading Sam Bennet and where could he end up.
“Well, I doesn’t seem like anything is imminent, but obviously when you have a player come out with the trade request as he did on the weekend, where everything went down there. It’s a tough spot for the GM then. It’s not always easy to make that move when everyone is sort of focused on it externally. It’s not a case where he was scratched because he was being traded today, I guess that is what I’m saying.
I think a trade is possible. There’s with interest. I think even the Leafs have some level of interest in Sam Bennett. I don’t know if they have the right piece to send back that would make that kind of trade palatable, but there are teams out there kicking tires naturally on what, a 24-year-old player. I know he has sort of inconsistencies, it’s something that’s plagued him, but we’ve also seen him have some pretty major playoff performances for the Flames over the years. And that’s going to be appealing to any team depending on the acquisition price.
So it doesn’t seem like we’re on the verge of seeing this trade completed, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see it happen at some point just because he’s a pretty good player. There’s a reason why Calgary has held on to him all these years. They’ve seen the best of him and understand it as well as anybody does.”
Jeff Marek poses the question, if Sam Bennett is scratched and doesn’t play on Saturday against the Oilers, has he played his last game with the Calgary Flames? Johnson responds:
“I think that is where it will go. That’s only natural. to see him scratched twice in row is different than one. We saw Travis Konecny scratched last weekend in Philadelphia. I don’t think anyone thinks he’s going to be traded. Sometimes this is used as a bit of message sending device from the coach. If it extends on, and through that sort of game where someone that can be competitive and physical as Sam can be, isn’t part of the battle of Alberta, I do think it changes the perception of things.
I don’t know what Calgary’s plans are for him , I’m sure our collegues will be all over that, finding out what Geoff Ward, how he views that situation because it’s one that is garnering a lot of attention.”