NHL insider drops key insight on Sam Bennett & Brad Marchand's future with Panthers, advises GM Bill Zito to make 'comparisons'

On Monday, NHL insider Darren Dreger spoke on the First Up podcast about Sam Bennett and Brad Marchand. He shared thoughts on their future with the Florida Panthers and what General Manager Bill Zito should consider.

Dreger said that Florida’s front office has important choices to make. He pointed out that it likely starts with Sam Bennett. Bennett’s contract ends after the finals, and the team must decide what extension makes sense. Dreger said (3:22):

"They are going to get out to get into the heavy lifting. What contract extension looks like for Bennett, what he's willing to take to stay with the Florida Panthers. And Florida has a high recognition of what Sam Bennett means to this team."

Dreger noted that the Panthers know what Bennett brings. They see his value in every game, especially in the playoffs.

Bennett has been one of Florida’s most reliable players this postseason. He has scored 13 goals in 19 games. That includes a record-setting 12 goals on the road. He also has six assists, 91 hits. In Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, he scored early on the power play and played a physical game.

Dreger said the Panthers might not have made it this far without him:

"Imagine does Florida even get here without the path of Sam Bennett blazing the trail... for me, he's high in the conversation to find leaders."

Sam Bennett is 28 years old and he will be 29 later this month, and his last deal was worth $17.7 million across four years. Dreger said he is a player Florida sees as a leader. The team will now have to look at what it can offer Bennett while looking at Marchand's standout career and recent performance, and making a comparison.

"There's a lot of work that Bill Zito is going to have to do," Dreger said. "But you balance and you measure that, and you make your comparisons. Okay, well, am I going to invest in this guy? He's younger. We're familiar with Sam Bennett. We know, given his tracker record, what he's done to this organization.

"And then you look the sample size of Brad Marchand, you know, at this point of Marchand's career, he's not looking to hit the financial home run here, right? ... He wants to continue to win... He is still a significant contributor, and there's value in that."

Brad Marchand is also set to become a free agent after next season. He is older — 37 — and his last contract was eight years, $49 million, but his intentions could lean more toward winning and less on bigger contracts. Marchand joined the Panthers as a veteran addition for the playoffs near the trade deadline from the Bruins.

Sam Bennett and Brad Marchand's dilemma for Panthers GM

In the Stanley Cup Final, Brad Marchand has performed well. He scored twice in Game 2, including the game-winning goal in double overtime. He now has seven goals and 17 points in 19 playoff games. He has also recorded 32 hits and a plus-14 rating.

Dreger compared Marchand to other veterans like Corey Perry, who still contribute late in their careers. Dreger noted that Marchand took some time to settle in and has since shown his value, but he sees him as a rental piece.

"I don't want to write him off... (but) So many times these rental, you know, pieces don't work out," Dreger said.

Dreger said Bill Zito should compare the two players carefully. Sam Bennett is younger and already part of the team’s core. Marchand is older but still effective. Both have helped the team in the playoffs, and Zito will need to decide how much to invest in each of them.