By Tony Abbott -
Over the past two months, Sam Bennett has made NHL general managers everywhere go, Hell yeah, that's the kind of guy we need in the playoffs.
Bennett is now the favorite to win the Conn Smythe Trophy, and why shouldn't he be? He's got 14 goals and 20 points, all while providing speed and toughness for the Florida Panthers as they seek their second-straight Stanley Cup.
There's even a good possibility that GMs everywhere will get a crack at getting a Sam Bennett-type player in... Sam Bennett. The soon-to-be 29-year-old will hit the open market unless Florida re-signs their pending UFA center. Many teams will want his services, and one will likely pay an absolute premium for them.
Still, there's only one Sam Bennett, which means that, wherever he signs, a bunch of GMs will still be looking for that kind of player. A player who has a nose for the net and one who's kind of a jerk on the ice.
It's hard to see the Minnesota Wild landing Bennett. The team has just under $16 million in cap space this summer, and Bennett would take up at least half of that room. As much appeal as having a Bennett-type would have for a Wild squad that hasn't won a playoff round in a decade, they likely need to aim higher than a player with a career-high of 51 points.
That doesn't mean Minnesota can't benefit from the coming Bennett craze. Striking out on Bennett shouldn't stop a GM's need to get their hands on a Bennett-esque player. It should only stoke those flames, and the Wild are in a position to take advantage of that with Ryan Hartman.
No one is going to mistake Hartman for Bennett. Hartman doesn't have the reputation that comes with being part of a team that's made the Stanley Cup Final back-to-back-to-back. Hartman, 30, is also two years older than Bennett, giving him less appeal on the open market.
Still, they're very similar players. Over the last four years, Bennett has scored 89 goals and 181 points in 279 games, which works out to 26 goals and 53 points every 82 games. Meanwhile, Hartman has 81 goals and 173 points over 284 games, giving him a similar 82-game pace statline of 23 goals and 50 points. As for their playstyles, Bennett has a reputation for being an agitator, and Hartman is... well, let's have Jake Middleton take it from here.
That last part is the X-Factor for teams. Finding a 50-point player isn't especially tough for a GM, even in this weak-ish free-agent class. The trouble is finding a 50-point player who will enable a team to compete with a team like the Panthers, who run deep in agitators. Hartman might be that guy for whatever team finishes as Bennett's second- or third-favorite destination this summer.
Again, though, we must mention that even being, in Middleton's words, "kinda a POS" doesn't make Hartman equal to Bennett.
For one, Hartman's antics have had NHL Player Safety fed up with the Wild forward, while Bennett hasn't burned through his goodwill with the institution yet. The NHL suspended Hartman for eight (reduced from 10) games this year for driving Tim Stützle's head into the ice in February, while Bennett avoided suspension after elbowing Anthony Stolarz in the head during the first round. Fair or not, Hartman's reputation (and five career suspensions) indicate that he frequently crosses the line, while Bennett only dances on it.
Still, you must credit Hartman for coloring within the lines during the playoffs, while being one of Minnesota's most productive postseason performers. He finished third on the team in points (six). If you're looking to point fingers concerning the Wild's inability to put the Vegas Golden Knights away, Hartman's the last person you should look at.
While Bill Guerin and the Wild can't market Hartman as Bennett's equal, they could use this offseason to push him as the perfect discount option. Any would-be Bennett suitor could get similar numbers, versatility, and edge in Hartman, all at around half the price. And who's to say that in the right spot, Hartman couldn't put up strong playoff numbers the way Bennett has?
Given Bennett's last three playoff runs, where he scored 26 goals and 49 points in 59 games, that sounds ridiculous. But Bennett wasn't always Playoff Bennett, either. During the first 45 playoff games of his career, Bennett had just 13 goals and 27 points over six playoff runs, none of which saw his teams advance past the second round.
Again, Hartman lags behind Bennett in career postseason points (eight goals, 21 points in 41 games). Still, he's picked things up in his last three trips to the playoffs. Four goals and 16 points in 17 games isn't too shabby.
The problem with floating Hartman is that if he's a Bennett-lite, why not keep him? Don't the Wild need playoff performers with an edge? That argument carries weight, but there are reasons to see if Minnesota can cash in its chips on Hartman now.
The Wild are looking to take the next step, and they don't have a ton of cap space to do that with. Moving Hartman would clear up to $4 million in cap room for the next two seasons, giving them a bit more ability to add a big-time player and freeing up some room in a lineup full of 30-something forwards.
Furthermore, Bennett presents a surprise opportunity to move a player who was looking like an albatross two months ago. Hartman felt untradeable as recently as April. Teams want an agitator. They don't want a player who's one bad decision from a 20-game suspension. Hartman's playoff series removed some of that stink, showing he can be effective when he controls himself. But what if Guerin doesn't think he can exhibit that self-control for two whole seasons? Then now is the opportunity to cut bait.
It's a fascinating conundrum for the Wild. Will they roll the dice and stick with their Sam Bennett Lite, taking the good with the bad? While the rest of the league zigs towards finding more playoff-made agitators, will the Wild zag and sell high on their version of that mold of player?
Thanks to Bennett's ascendancy, Minnesota can exploit the league's newest trend -- if it's bold enough to do so.
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