Certainly not the worst comparable, but I wouldn't call it an especially good one either.
Pageau, coming off a great playoff, is also much more refined than Bennett. He doesn't have the raw potential, but he's already a strong shutdown center. The Senators are not shy about putting him up against Crosby's line, and he's a decent even-strength producer, good at face-offs and is the Senators go to penalty-killer. He's closer to a more gritty Backlund, especially before Backlund broke out offensively, but given his hockey IQ, I think Pageau is on a similar trajectory as Backlund.
Again, I have no issue saying that Bennett has more potential, but based on their plays last season they really aren't comparable. Pageau was much more of a complete player, and an actual center, of course he's 24 too.
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