CHICAGO -- It would be understandable if Sam Reinhart felt lethargic entering this season.
The forward was coming off a short summer after he and the Florida Panthers won the first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history June 24. It was yet another short summer after Florida advanced to the Stanley Cup Final in 2023 as well, which provided a learning experience.
“It was my first real short summer (in 2023) and you’re kind of wondering if you’re ready, if you’re doing enough or too little,” Reinhart said. “I think going through it once gave me a little more confidence with this (past) summer and knowing how to handle things. So, I mean, I think there’s something to be said that you may feel better right away. It takes less time to get back into it.”
The 29-year-old got back into it right away and has stayed consistent with 39 points (19 goals, 20 assists) in 31 games, good enough to lead the Panthers and rank eighth in the NHL. He’ll look for more when they play the Edmonton Oilers in a rematch of this year’s Stanley Cup Final at Rogers Place in Edmonton on Monday (8:30 p.m. ET; TVAS, Prime, NHLN, SCRIPPS).
To start this season, Reinhart had 12 points (five goals, seven assists) through his first seven games. He then had a 13-game point streak from Oct. 24-Nov. 23, during which he had 19 points (11 goals, eight assists). Reinhart enters Monday without a point in consecutive games for the first time this season.
The No. 2 pick by the Buffalo Sabres at the 2014 NHL Draft, Reinhart has 577 points (274 goals, 303 assists) in 726 career games with the Sabres and Panthers. He set career highs last season in goals (57) and points (94).
“I don't know if anybody's shocked [that he's scoring], but he's just one of the smartest players, probably, in this league,” said Seattle Kraken defenseman Brandon Montour, who was Reinhart’s teammate in Buffalo (2019-20) and Florida from 2021-24. “He does everything at a high level, aggressively. Maybe he's not shooting the puck a ton for the amount of goals that he scores, but he's obviously so smart and puts himself in the right position.”
Reinhart’s work also earned him a place on Canada’s roster for the 4 Nations Face-Off on Dec. 4. The best-on-best tournament featuring teams consisting of NHL players from Finland, Sweden, Canada and the United States will be held Feb. 12-20 at Bell Centre in Montreal and at TD Garden in Boston.
Reinhart plays with confidence, something that’s been especially evident in his time in Florida.
“All he needs are one or two shots, and that’s the piece to his game that he’s developed and the confidence that comes from having a year like he had last year,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. “He's a shooter and it’s on and off his stick exactly where he wants it to go. So, what he does so very well is he manages himself on the ice. He gets out there and says, ‘I’ve got it tonight,’ and the nights he doesn’t, he’s still a really effective player for us.”
Oilers forward Jeff Skinner, who played with Reinhart in Buffalo, has been impressed with Reinhart’s output.
“He’s producing at an elite rate and is a good player on both sides of the puck,” he said. “When you get those numbers, if you’re going to score that many goals, you’re going to have to score from different situations.
“Great players find ways to get open. I think if you look at the best players from other teams, opponents focus on how to shut them down and they still find a way to get open, find space and get chances. Obviously, he’s been capitalizing on his chances.”
Reinhart has a calm demeanor. He was unfazed last season while playing through the end of the three-year contract he signed with the Panthers in August 2021. Asked about waiting for a new contract at 2024 NHL All-Star Media Day in Toronto on Feb. 1, Reinhart said he and the Panthers “were both comfortable with where we’re at.”
The wait didn’t stop him from setting career numbers, and he signed an eight-year contract with Florida on July 1.
“It’s something that’s probably new to me; I’ve never really had that long-term deal,” Reinhart said. “It doesn’t really change how I go about things and certainly not in this organization how we go about things. It’s more day to day, how can we build, how can we succeed on that day. That’s where we’re at.”
Reinhart continues to be one of the League’s top performers. He’s won the Cup, he has a long-term contract and he just keeps going about his business.
“He's honest, quiet, works extremely hard at his craft every day, extremely fit. He takes care of his game better than most, but he’s a great guy, a funny guy,” Montour said. “Obviously he had a terrific year last year, and he's a heck of a player in this league and continuing that, so it's nice to see. As a friend and obviously as a fan, I want him to do well.”
NHL.com staff writer Derek Van Diest and independent correspondent Darren Brown contributed to this report
