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Sam Reinhart

East Notes: Kessel, Marchand, Reinhart

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Phil Kessel is looking for his next team after winning his third Stanley Cup with the Vegas Golden Knights. Many fans have hoped that his free agency could mean a possible reunion with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Kessel spent four years of his 17-year career in Pittsburgh, winning Cups in his first two years with the club. But Pittsburgh Hockey Now’s Dave Molinari shares that a reunion is less than likely. Molinari shares that Pittsburgh’s current roster building is focused around fleshing out their bottom-six. And while Kessel, who scored 36 points in 82 games last year, may be able to provide some exciting bottom-six scoring, he doesn’t fit the checking-line style that Pittsburgh is targeting. The Hockey News’ Nick Horwat is similarly doubtful that Kessel is set for a Pittsburgh reunion, adding that Kessel doesn’t have the defensive acumen that new Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas has prioritized.

More from the Eastern Conference:

  • Brad Marchand and the Boston Bruins are entering unfamiliar territory as they begin a season without Patrice Bergeron. Marchand spoke extensively about what Bergeron’s absence means for the team. NHL.com’s Eric Russo says that the Bruins winger will need to take on a larger portion of the leadership load. But when asked about the likelihood that he could take on the next captaincy, Marchand said that he’s not thinking about it much and that, regardless of the next captain, the Bruins will need to collectively lift each other up to help match Bergeron’s impact.
  • Sam Reinhart is entering the final year of his contract and beginning to consider his future with the Florida Panthers. Reinhart has never been an unrestricted free agent, signing his most recent deal as a restricted free agent with arbitration rights. But despite the freedom being a UFA provides, Reinhart says he’d like to stay in Florida. Speaking to the expiring contract, he said, “It is not something I stress over or lose sleep over too much. They know I want to be here, I know they want me here.”

Snapshots: Senators, Penguins, Luostarinen

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Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia reported today that the talk amongst the bidders for ownership of the Ottawa Senators is that Toronto billionaire Steve Apostolopoulos is the current favorite to purchase the franchise. Apostolopoulos was one of four bidders with the other three being Los Angeles-based producer Neko Sparks, Michael and Jeffrey Kimel of Harlo Capital, and Toronto’s Michael Andlauer. Garrioch goes on to say that Apostolopoulos, who missed out on purchasing the NFL’s Washington Commanders is in the driver’s seat as he had the highest bid at $1 billion.

Garrioch adds that it is far from a done deal as there has been talk that the other ownership groups have been making moves to improve their bids and add additional people to their groups. Sources have told Garrioch that Andlauer is confident he will get the team and he believes his position with the Montreal Canadiens as an alternate member of the NHL’s board of governors will give him the inside track to the Senators ownership. There was talk earlier in the week that Andlauer and the Kimel’s might form a collective group, but those talks have apparently stopped after not getting very far.

It’ll be interesting to see where the Senator’s ownership saga goes in the upcoming weeks. Gary Bettman doesn’t generally like to have other teams making announcements during the Stanley Cup finals, and with game 1 set for Saturday night it might be well into June when there is an official announcement about who will be the next owner of the Senators.

In other snapshots from around the NHL:

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins got to work today in the first day with Kyle Dubas at the helm. Dubas took over as president of hockey operations and interim general manager from Brian Burke and Ron Hextall and was quick to make moves to dismiss some members of the old guard. Josh Yohe of The Athletic reported that director of pro scouting Kerry Huffman, director of hockey operations and salary cap management Alec Schall, and senior VP of integrated performance Teena Murray were all let go with at least one year remaining on their contracts. All three were hired by Hextall and will not be part of the new management group in Pittsburgh as they rebuild their hockey ops after a disappointing season in which they missed the playoffs for the first time in 17 years.
  • Tom Gulitti of NHL.com writes that Florida Panthers forward Eetu Luostarinen is practicing with the team in Vegas ahead of game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals tomorrow night. Luostarinen was paired back up with his usual linemates Sam Reinhart and Anton Lundell. The 24-year-old was injured in game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Carolina Hurricanes but has yet to miss a game. Paul Maurice was quoted in The Hockey News on Monday saying that he expected Luostarinen to be ready for game 1 and things appear to be trending that way. Luostarinen has been a big part of the Panthers third line in this postseason putting up two goals and three assists in 16 games.

Ilya Samsonov To Have MRI And Other Tests

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The Toronto Maple Leafs are in a massive hole as they trail the Florida Panthers 3-0 in their best of seven Eastern Conference semi-final series. Now they may have to deal with an elimination game without goaltender Ilya Samsonov. David Alter of The Hockey News is reporting that Samsonov is feeling better today but will be going for an MRI and additional testing to gain a better understanding on what is happening with the 26-year-old. His status for game four is unknown currently.

Samsonov left game three early after he was run over by teammate Luke Schenn on an odd man rush. The former first round pick lay on the ice after the incident and was checked by Maple Leafs training staff. He was eventually ruled out of the game and did not return. Joseph Woll came in to relieve Samsonov and made 18 saves before allowing the overtime winning goal to Sam Reinhart.

Samsonov has been terrific this season for Toronto having posted a .919 save percentage to go along with a 27-10-5 record. Should he miss game four the Maple Leafs would likely go back to rookie Woll who filled in admirably for Samsonov. Woll has been great for Toronto in limited action this year having posted a 6-1 record with a .932 save percentage and 2.16 goals against average.

One thing to potentially keep an eye on could be current third string goaltender Matt Murray. The Thunder Bay native was cleared to return prior to the series and has been practicing with the club. Murray hasn’t played since he suffered a concussion in early April and while it is unlikely he would be thrown into the net to start an elimination game, he would become the backup should Samsonov miss any time.

Sam Reinhart, Mason Marchment Added To COVID Protocol

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The Florida Panthers will be without two forwards for their next game, as both Sam Reinhart and Mason Marchment have been added to the COVID protocol. The team has also placed assistant coach Tuomo Ruutu in the protocol.

Reinhart and Marchment will be unavailable for tomorrow’s match against the Calgary Flames and, if they tested positive, Thursday’s game against the Dallas Stars, but shortened isolation periods could mean those are the only two they miss. Olli Juolevi, who had been in the protocol, was back at practice today for the Panthers.

The Panthers are also without Sam Bennett after his recent suspension, meaning they’ll be shorthanded as they head into a tough matchup against the Flames. Reinhart has been excellent of late, scoring 13 points in 10 games since the start of December and climbing to second place among all Panthers with 26 points in 32 games on the season.

Sam Reinhart Signs With Florida Panthers

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The Florida Panthers have worked out a deal with newly acquired Sam Reinhart, inking the restricted free agent to a three-year contract. Reinhart was acquired last month from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for a 2022 first-round pick and prospect Devon Levi. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that the deal will carry an average annual value of $6.5MM. GM Bill Zito released a statement on the deal:

Sam is a gifted and versatile talent that will play a key role for our team in the coming seasons. 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 in South Florida.

The three-year deal buys out two seasons of unrestricted free agency for the 25-year-old Reinhart, who already has six full campaigns under his belt in the NHL. Selected second overall in the 2014 draft (right behind teammate Aaron Ekblad and two spots ahead of teammate Sam Bennett), he has been one of the most consistent players for the Sabres over the years even as the team failed to have any success.

In five of his six seasons, Reinhart has recorded at least 22 goals and matched his career-high with 25 even in this shortened 2020-21 campaign. That 25-goal, 40-point performance is even more spectacular given the fact that Jack Eichel missed most of the year, meaning Reinhart was able to create that kind of offense almost on his own in Buffalo. The next highest goal total on the Sabres was Victor Olofsson’s 13, not offering a ton of opportunity for Reinhart to rack up assists.

That will certainly change in Florida, where he could very well line up beside Aleksander Barkov for parts of the year. That is of course unless they use him as a full-time center, something he never really did in Buffalo. Either way, the number of talented forwards that will surround Reinhart will be in stark contrast to what he had with the Sabres, which could very well lead to a career year.

He’s certainly getting paid for that upside though, as Reinhart is suddenly earning more than any other forward–including Barkov–on the Panthers. That would have likely been the case even if he went through the arbitration process though, as he was due a $5.2MM qualifying offer and had an outstanding case given his consistent offensive numbers. Even if it’s a bit weird for him to be the most expensive forward on the team, it likely will only be for one season. Barkov is scheduled for unrestricted free agency in 2022 and will need a huge extension, while Jonathan Huberdeau is also only signed for two years.

With all of their restricted free agents now signed, Florida is still nearly $2MM under the cap ceiling. The team could potentially even add more depth, or continue to accrue room to make a splash at the deadline.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Florida Panthers Acquire Sam Reinhart

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July 24: The deal is now official. The Sabres will receive Levi and a 2022 first-round pick in exchange for Reinhart. Panthers GM Bill Zito released a short statement on his newest forward:

Sam has established himself as one of the best playmaking scorers in the league, and we are thrilled to be able to add him to our Panthers lineup. His competitiveness and hunger to succeed will fit seamlessly with the culture we are building here in South Florida.

LeBrun adds that the first-round pick is top-10 protected. Should it end up that high, the Sabres will receive Florida’s 2023 pick instead.

July 23: The Buffalo Sabres and Florida Panthers are working hard on a Sam Reinhart trade, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The Sabres already moved long-time defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen earlier today have been rumored to be ready to move on from both Reinhart and captain Jack Eichel this summer. The trade call is pending, but Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic confirms that Reinhart will be heading to Florida. Friedman notes that goaltending prospect Devon Levi will be going back to Buffalo as part of the return.

Reinhart, 25, has been one of the only beacons of consistency in a brutally inconsistent franchise over the past six seasons, posting somewhere between 17-25 goals and 40-65 points each season. Those numbers are even more impressive when you consider he played just 54 games this season, but still managed a 25-goal campaign.

Unlike Ristolainen, who is often blamed for a lot of the losing in Buffalo because of his negative possession statistics, Reinhart is seen as someone who could break out if given the chance in a better situation. He has been, however, the focus of some fan’s ire because of a lack of effort at times, though that has been a common refrain for many of the Sabres that have been in Buffalo for several years, repeatedly missing the playoffs. He has also been given relatively prime opportunities for the Sabres, hardly ever being given much defensive responsibility despite playing nearly 20 minutes a night. Reinhart only really moved back to the center ice position this season, lining up more as a winger through his first several years in the league.

Still, for the Panthers, this will represent another win-now move for a team that was already among the best in the league in 2020-21. Florida went 37-14-5, but ran into the eventual Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round of the playoffs. They fell in six games, failing to score a single goal in the deciding match. Reinhart represents a boost to that offense, and one that can be moved around the lineup depending on the rest of the moves the Panthers make this summer.

Like Sam Bennett though, a fellow 2014 draftee, Reinhart is a restricted free agent this offseason, and will be looking for a hefty contract. He is arbitration-eligible and just one year away from UFA status, meaning any multi-year contract will be expensive. If the Panthers believe he can be a core piece for them moving forward, that might make sense, but even a short-term deal could work for the team given how close they appear to contention.

East Notes: Reinhart, Capitals, Carlo, Gostisbehere

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As a result of the Sabres losing Jack Eichel to injury plus Eric Staal and Curtis Lazar to trades, the Sabres were forced to put Sam Reinhart back at center, a position he hasn’t played at much over the last few seasons.  As Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald points out, that position change has sparked the 25-year-old as he has 10 goals and five assists in 16 games since the move heading into tonight’s game against Boston.  Reinhart is a restricted free agent for the final time this summer after avoiding arbitration last fall with a one-year, $5.2MM deal.  That number represents his qualifying offer and if the team believes he can be a regular down the middle moving forward, he’d enter those contract discussions with a bit more leverage.

Elsewhere in the East:

  • Capitals defenseman John Carlson was a late scratch for tonight’s game due to a lower-body injury, the team announced (Twitter link). He’s listed as day-to-day.  Carlson is currently tied for second on Washington in scoring with 10 goals and 32 assists in 49 games.  The Caps did get some good news on the back end though as Justin Schultz returned after missing three straight with a lower-body injury of his own.
  • Boston blueliner Brandon Carlo is hoping to return next week, relays Eric Russo of the Bruins’ team website. It has been a rough couple of months for him; after returning from a concussion suffered on a hit from Washington’s Tom Wilson, he then suffered an upper-body injury in his second game back in April 1st and hasn’t played since.  Carlo is averaging 18:29 per game this season in 23 contests.
  • Flyers defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere is expected to return to practice on Friday and could be available to return as soon as Saturday, notes Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News. He has missed two straight games (including tonight’s contest) with a sprained knee.  After a rough first half of the season, he quietly has 11 points in his last 21 games.

Snapshots: Sabres, Capitals, Blues

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Sabres winger Sam Reinhart is dealing with an upper-body injury, notes Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News.  While he didn’t leave Thursday’s game, he was absent from practice on Friday and he will at least miss today’s game while his availability for Sunday’s rematch against New Jersey is still up in the air.  The 25-year-old is off to a good start this season with three goals and three assists in eight games and will be a restricted free agent for the final time this summer.

Meanwhile, Lysowski adds (Twitter link) that prospect Jack Quinn is dealing with an upper-body injury of his own.  He’s currently on the taxi squad but the Sabres may send him to AHL Rochester once he recovers.  While he’s still junior-aged, Quinn can go to the minors as long as the OHL season continues to be delayed.

Elsewhere around the league:

  • Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin and Dmitry Orlov have been cleared from the CPRA list, relays Samantha Pell of the Washington Post (Twitter link). The two took part in Washington’s morning skate today but Evgeny Kuznetsov and Ilya Samsonov weren’t, meaning their time on the list will continue.  Meanwhile, Pell adds in a separate tweet that center Lars Eller also skated earlier today in a non-contact sweater after missing Thursday’s contest due to an upper-body injury.
  • The Blues will be without center Tyler Bozak for their two games this weekend against Anaheim, reports Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He was injured on a hit from Vegas winger Mark Stone on Tuesday night, one that had St. Louis hoping for some sort of supplemental discipline although none was coming.  Sammy Blais will take Bozak’s spot in the lineup.  As for defenseman Robert Bortuzzo, he’s expected to take the gameday skate today with head coach Craig Berube hoping that he’ll be available on Sunday.

East Notes: Kase, Reinhart, Varlamov, Frost

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The Boston Bruins will be without one of their top wingers as head coach Bruce Cassidy said that Ondrej Kase is doubtful for Monday’s game against the New York Islanders with an upper-body injury, according to Boston Hockey Now’s Joe Haggerty.

Kase took a high hit against the boards from New Jersey’s Miles Wood during the second period of Saturday’s game. Already with a history of concussions, the forward skated off the ice on his own, but was holding his face.

On a positive note, winger Craig Smith, out with a lower-body injury, is likely to be available on Monday. Smith did make his debut on Saturday, playing 17:07 of ice time and should find himself on the second line. Jake Debrusk is expected to move over to the right side and fill in on the team’s first line as well.

  • The Sabres were missing a pair of wingers in practice Sunday as Sam Reinhart was not at practice and remains questionable after suffering a lower-body injury Friday in a collision against the boards, according to the Buffalo News’ Mike Harrington. Reinhart was skating uncomfortably after going down awkwardly, but still played 21:25. The forward was moved to the top line during the game, giving that line better opportunities. The team was also missing Kyle Okposo, who hasn’t played a game yet this season and remains day-to-day with a lower-body injury.
  • While no update on the severity of the injury, The Athletic’s Arthur Staple reports that the injury that New York Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov suffered during warmups is a jaw issue, not a neck issue. The netminder took a shot that went underneath his mask and forced him to leave the ice. Rookie Ilya Sorokin got the start instead with veteran Cory Schneider serving as the backup.
  • With their lines developing chemistry, Philadelphia Flyers head coach Alain Vigneault said he’s not interested in rotating the lines after the injury to Sean Couturier. Therefore Morgan Frost, who was expected to step in for the Selke winner, will take over for Couturier and take over top-line centering duties and will play with Travis Konecny and Oskar Lindblom, according to Philadelphia Inquirer’s Sam Carchidi. “I think Morgan deserves this opportunity to play with TK and Oskar,” Vigneault said. “What went into our decision, also, was that the other lines are building some chemistry. … Instead of shuffling everything (he made just one move). Morgan is considered to be a skilled offensive player. I might as well put him in that role. With TK and Oskar, he’s playing with two pretty good players.”

2020 Arbitration Tracker

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Originally published on Oct 13

The dates for the upcoming arbitration hearings have been set, with the first three being held on October 20. Hearings will continue through November 8. It is important to remember that this offseason, once a hearing begins, teams are no longer allowed to negotiate with the player in question while the arbitrator deliberates.

The full schedule is:

October 20

Andrew Mangiapane – Settled, 2 years $2.43MM AAV
Anthony DeAngelo – Settled, 2 years $4.8MM AAV
Matt Grzelcyk – Settled, 4 years, $3.69MM AAV

October 21

Ilya Mikheyev – Settled, 2 years $1.65MM AAV

October 22

Connor Brown – Settled, 3 years, $3.6MM AAV

October 25

Tyler Bertuzzi – Player filing: $4.25MM – Team filing: $3.15MM – Awarded: $3.5MM

October 26

Linus Ullmark – Settled, 1 year, $2.6MM AAV

October 27

Sam Reinhart – Settled, 1 year, $5.2MM AAV

October 28

Jake Virtanen* – Settled, 2 years, $2.55MM AAV

October 30

Joshua Ho-Sang – Settled, 1 year, $700K AAV (two-way)

October 31

Devon Toews – Settled, 4 years, $4.1MM AAV
Alexandar Georgiev – Settled, 2 years, $2.43MM AAV

November 1

Nick Paul – Settled, 2 years, $1.35MM AAV

November 2

Gustav Forsling  – Settled, 1 year, $700K AAV (two-way)

November 4

Victor Olofsson – Settled, 2 years, $3.05MM AAV
Warren Foegele – Settled, 1 year, $2.14MM AAV

November 5

Ryan Strome – Player filing: $5.7MM, Team Filing: 3.6MM – Settled: 2 years, $4.5MM AAV

November 6

Brendan Lemieux – Player filing: $2MM, Team Filing: 2 years, $1.0125MM AAV – Settled: 2 years, $1.55MM AAV
Ryan Pulock – Settled, 2 years, $5.0MM AAV

November 7

Christian Jaros – Settled, 1 year, $750K (two-way)

November 8

Chris Tierney – Settled, 2 years, $3.5MM AAV
MacKenzie Weegar – Settled, 3 years $3.25MM AAV
Haydn Fleury – Settled, 2 years, $1.3MM AAV

*Virtanen was not included in the NHLPA’s announcement, but Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports he will have a hearing on the 28th. 

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