Sam Reinhart can't help but get excited thinking about the future.
After being acquired from the Sabres in exchange for a 2022 first-round pick and goaltender Devon Levi last month, the high-scoring forward officially hitched his wagon to one of the fastest rising teams in the NHL on Wednesday when he finally put pen to paper on a three-year contract with the Panthers.
With new deal in hand, Reinhart aims to put Panthers 'over the top'
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"It's exciting and has that extra level of motivation, knowing the group of guys they have, knowing the talent level that's there and what they're setting out to do, what their goals are," Reinhart said of his new deal on Thursday. "It's a great feeling and really refreshing coming into that mindset and I can't wait to do my part and fit into what they've already been building and hope to help put us over the top."
That's exactly the sort of contribution the Panthers are hoping to get from their new weapon.
After finishing with the fourth-best record in the league this past season, the Panthers, who also turned plenty of heads with their hard-fought series against the back-to-back Stanley Cup champion Lightning in the playoffs, have spent the majority of the offseason locking up the key players behind that resurgence.
Sam Bennett received a four-year deal, while Anthony Duclair, Gustav Forsling and Brandon Montour all signed three-year extensions to stick around in South Florida. Additionally, Carter Verhaeghe decided to tack on three more years to his current deal, which was set to expire at the end of the upcoming season.
But in order to get over the hump, Panthers general manager Bill Zito also made sure to add a few new pieces to the mix in order to elevate the group of talent he'd already amassed in a short period of time.
And while the majority of these newcomers will provide the team with some valuable depth, it's safe to say the key addition of Reinhart has elevated Florida's offense to one of the best in the league on paper.
"Sam is a gifted and versatile talent that will play a key role for our team in the coming seasons," Zito said. "One of several players to commit to our organization with a multi-year contract this offseason, we are excited to see how these players come together and continue to build a foundation for success."
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A threat to score whenever he's on the ice, Reinhart, the second-overall pick in the 2014 NHL Draft, has registered at least 20 goals in five of the last six seasons. If not for this past season being cut short due to COVID-19, he likely would have also reached the 50-point plateau for the fourth consecutive campaign.
Doing all of this despite being on one of the lowest-scoring teams in the league, the 25-year-old paced the Sabres in both goals (25) and points (40) during the 2020-21 campaign, with his 25 goals placing him tied for 11th in the NHL and also accounting for a whopping 18.7% of Buffalo's goal total on the season.
Heading into his first season with the Panthers now surrounded by one of the best supporting casts he could ask for, Reinhart believes the possibilities are plentiful when it comes to how he can help the club.
"It's exciting and motivating all at the same time," Reinhart said of the transition. "Who knows how it's all going to fit together [on the ice], but I feel like I'm someone that you can kind of slot in anywhere. I'm going to do my best to make it work. You look at the possibilities and it's nothing short of excitement."
Yet to play past Game 82, the allure of a deep postseason run in South Florida is also enticing.
"I saw a couple [Panthers playoff] games against Tampa, which was a heck of a series," Reinhart said. "To be able to see where they were able to get to and ultimately where they want to get to is something motivating for me, especially from summer moving into the start of camp and the start of the season."
With training camp set to begin sometime next month, Reinhart, who is currently enjoying the final few weeks of the offseason in Vancouver, said he plans to head down to the Sunshine State a few weeks before the team officially hits the ice in order to get acclimated to his new teammates and surroundings.
Among those teammates will be more than a few familiar faces. In addition to spending parts of the last three seasons sharing a locker room in Buffalo with Montour, Reinhart has previously laced up his skates with Duclair, Bennett and Aaron Ekblad while the trio played for Canada on international junior squads.
Serendipitously, Reinhart was also drafted one pick after Ekblad and two before Bennett back in 2014.
"I think it's a cool opportunity for us to all go back and play consistently together and have that opportunity to succeed," Reinhart said of the group. "I've been in touch with quite a few guys."
Hoping to turn that opportunity into something special with the Panthers, Reinhart believes that -- if everything goes according to plan -- he'll be able to plant some roots and settle down in South Florida.
"I don't think I can stress enough that both parties are confident this is going to work out and ultimately be something longer than that," Reinhart said when asked about the term of his new deal. "That's the plan for both of us. I think it's a great opportunity for me to get down, get familiar and start building in this win-now mentality that's been building for years. Hopefully this year and the next two in this deal, we can really reach our goals but it's something that we both envision can be a lot longer."