Earlier this week, we looked at the potential cost of new contracts for Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl and Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner. Today, the focus shifted to Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart. Crosby, Draisaitl and Marner have a year remaining on their respective contracts. Reinhart, however, is slated to become a UFA on July 1. The 28-year-old Panthers forward is completing a three-year deal with an average annual value of $6.5 million. It’s been a career year for Reinhart. He reached the vaunted 50-goal plateau for the first time, currently second among NHL scorers with 53 goals.
Reinhart’s also earned praise from his teammates for his 200-foot play. On Feb. 29, Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov spoke of how his teammate “does all the right things on the ice defensively.” Panthers coach Paul Maurice also sang Reinhart’s praises, jokingly trying to dissuade potential UFA suitors. “He’s really good, unless you’re trying to sign him as a free agent,” said Maurice told reporters on March 26. “In which case there’s a little attitude problem, and he’s hard to deal with.”
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