Sam Bennett is not having the season anyone hoped for.
The 2014 fourth overall pick – the highest pick in Flames franchise history – currently has 23 points in 73 games. This comes after a 36-point rookie season. There was absolutely nothing wrong with that – Sean Monahan had a 34-point rookie season, and then followed it up with 62 points as a sophomore. Bennett clearly had potential – he was fantastic in the 2015 playoffs – so he would break out in his second season too, right?
Well, that’s forgetting a crucial component: Monahan got Johnny Gaudreau to work with.