Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Flames in no rush to sign fourth overall pick Bennett

sambennett2-e1404948869753.jpg

Last year, the Flames signed Sean Monahan 22 days after taking him sixth overall at the draft.

Three years ago, they inked Sven Baertschi 10 days after taking him 13th overall.

But despite that history, Calgary GM Brad Treliving says there’s no reason to rush the process with the team’s latest top draftee, Sam Bennett, taken fourth overall at the 2014 NHL Entry Draft in Philadelphia.

“It’s not something we think we have to go out and do this afternoon, but obviously it’s something we’ll take a look at fairly soon,” Treliving said, per Flames TV. “Would I like it done (by training camp)? Sure. I don’t think it has any bearing on where Sam starts. That will all be based on his play.

“It’s not something we think we have to rush out and do this afternoon, but obviously it’s something we’re going to take a look at fairly soon.”

There’s a lot of buzz around Bennett right now thanks to his performance at Calgary’s summer prospects camp. He, along with Johnny Gaudreau, have been two of the bright spots and given the lack of veterans up front for the Flames, there are NHL jobs to be had this fall. Calgary also had some success in this area last year, when they kept Monahan up rather than return him to junior; he responded with a solid rookie campaign, finishing fourth among first-year players with 22 goals and eighth in Calder voting.

Like Monahan, Bennett is a center and will need to find a spot on the depth chart among the likes of Mikael Backlund, Matt Stajan, Lance Bouma and Max Reinhart. It wouldn’t be surprising if he’s returned to OHL Kingston for another year of seasoning.