Florida Panthers star forward Sam Reinhart will miss at least the team’s next four games as he manages an undisclosed injury, per team reporter Jameson Olive. Reinhart missed Florida’s game on March 10 with an undisclosed injury, but returned to play in the team’s victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday.
Head coach Paul Maurice said Reinhart is currently dealing with “more than one thing,” and when asked about the severity of Reinhart’s injury, said “there’s a big spectrum there.” The Panthers sit nine points behind the Boston Bruins for the Eastern Conference’s final playoff spot, and despite a three-game win streak, appear set to miss the postseason after three consecutive runs to the Stanley Cup Final, and two championships. Reinhart’s injury is likely to further decrease the Panthers’ already slim playoff hopes.
Florida has been ravaged by injuries this season. The list of Panthers currently injured includes captain Aleksander Barkov, star veteran Brad Marchand, top defenseman Seth Jones, and No. 2 center Sam Bennett. The Panthers were also without Matthew Tkachuk for extended time this season. While there are a multitude of factors that have contributed to the Panthers’ on-ice decline this season, perhaps none is more significant than injuries.
With Reinhart on an uncertain return timeline, it’s possible the Panthers will face the decision over whether or not to shut down their star goal scorer for the rest of the season at some point in the near future. There have been no reports of that being the case, but for teams playing out the final stretch of a lost season, those kinds of decisions are not uncommon.
Despite the Panthers’ decline, Reinhart has been his normal self this season, producing at a strong rate (61 points in 64 games) and playing in all situations. He’s Florida’s No. 1 forward in terms of ice time this season, averaging 21:17 time on ice per game, including a significant role on both sides of special teams. While Barkov typically gets the most amount of attention for his two-way brilliance, Reinhart has become one of the league’s most dependable players in his own right.
With Reinhart, and most of the rest of their core, locked into contracts for several years down the line (at least), the Panthers are likely to push forward with the intent of returning to true contention as soon as next season. With an eye towards potentially winning a third championship in four years next summer, the Panthers are likely hoping whatever injuries Reinhart has been dealing with stay confined to this season, and this season only.