Reinhart signs 8-year contract with Panthers

Sam Reinhart signed an eight-year contract with the Florida Panthers on Monday. Financial terms were not disclosed.

The 28-year-old forward, who was in the final season of a three-year contract he signed with Florida on Aug. 11, 2021, could have become an unrestricted free agent at noon ET. In order for him to have signed for eight years with the Panthers, the contract had to have been registered with the NHL Central Registry prior to midnight on Sunday.

“It’s awesome. As both Sam and I said all during the year, we wanted to keep him, he wanted to stay," Panthers general manager Bill Zito said. "We worked through the process. His agent was a gentleman. Everyone was all with the intention of trying to take care of Sam and still have a chance to win, and that was paramount to him in his decision-making. And respect and happiness on that end. We’re just thrilled, thrilled that he’s a part of it.”

Reinhart scored an NHL career-high 57 goals last season, which was second in the NHL behind Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (69). He also led the NHL with a career-high 27 power-play goals and 34 power-play points, and led Florida with a career-high 94 points. Reinhart also finished fourth in voting for the Selke Trophy as the League's top defensive forward.

Reinhart then had 16 points (10 goals, six assists) in 24 Stanley Cup Playoff games, including scoring the Cup-clinching goal for the Panthers in Game 7 of the Final against the Edmonton Oilers.

Selected by the Buffalo Sabres with the No. 2 pick in the 2014 NHL Draft, Reinhart has 538 points (255 goals, 283 assists) in 696 regular-season games with the Sabres and Panthers. He also has 33 points (21 goals, 12 assists) in 55 playoff games.

Reinhart's best NHL seasons have come since he was acquired by Florida in a trade with Buffalo on July 24, 2021. During his first season with the Panthers in 2021-22, Reinhart had 82 points, including an NHL career-high 49 assists, in 78 games. He then had 67 points (31 goals, 36 assists) in 82 games in 2022-23 before setting his career high in goals and points last season.

“Since coming to South Florida, Sam has demonstrated his ability to be a powerful scoring threat while maintaining strong defensive play,” Zito said. “His versatility and value as a player are only outshined by his premier personality and work ethic, and we are pleased to have him continue on with our group.”

The Panthers also re-signed defenseman Dmitry Kulikov to a four-year contract, and added three depth forwards by signing Tomas Nosek, who played with the New Jersey Devils last season, to a one-year contract, A.J. Greer, who played for the Calgary Flames, to a two-year contract, and Jesper Boqvist, who played for the Boston Bruins, to a one-year contract. Goalie Chris Driedger, who played the previous two seasons with the Seattle Kraken, signed a one-year contract.

The 33-year-old had 20 points (one goal, 19 assists) in 76 regular-season games last season and two assists in 24 playoff games to help the Panthers win the Cup.

“That’s almost a statement that lends itself to the, ‘We’re trying to get guys to want to be here.’ And he’s all in. He’s all in 100 percent," Zito said. "He has a reasonable number, and I suspect he could’ve had a better financial picture somewhere else, and he said, ‘I’m all in. I want to stay.’ That’s really, it’s priceless, and to have a commitment from a guy like that with everything that he leaves out on the ice, it’s encouraging.”

Selected by Florida in the first round (No. 14) of the 2009 NHL Draft, Kulikov has 234 points (46 goals, 188 assists) in 948 regular-season games for the Panthers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Anaheim Ducks, Minnesota Wild, Edmonton Oilers, New Jersey Devils, Winnipeg Jets and Sabres and 10 points (one goal, nine assists) in 53 playoff games.

NHL.com staff writer Tom Gulitti contributed to this report.