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Buffalo Sabres Players: Sam Reinhart’s Place On The Team

By Jacob D. Strozyk

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All year long, Sabres fans and hockey fans alike have raved over the name Jack Eichel. They have praised him and all he will do for the Buffalo Sabres after he was drafted by them. But what many people seemed to have overlooked is the fact that Sam Reinhart was picked at the #2 slot in 2014.

Related – Scrimmage Game Standouts

Sam Reinhart is still a fantastic player regardless of the hype that surrounds Jack Eichel. He still possesses a unique set of skills that will have him thriving on the team this year. If the Blue vs Gold Scrimmage game wasn’t enough of a showing of how much Reinhart has come along in the past year, I don’t know what else is.

Reinhart has gotten much bigger; putting on close to 20 pounds and his skating has improved dramatically. The timid youngster that played 9 games in the NHL at the start of last season has come and gone away. Reinhart has matured to become a more tenacious and influential player on the ice. Known as a much more silent leader, where he is making the plays to have his team succeed, Reinhart has developed the ability to actively lead.

Not only can Reinhart lead his players that he is in front of, but he can make the opposition take note of where he is on the ice; and that’s everywhere. Reinhart’s greatest skill is still his Hockey IQ, and his ability to be in the right place at the right time. He is defensively responsible and is capable of playing wherever he is needed. Should he be caught up ice on a scoring chance, expect him to be charging back into the play to make a difference. There is no laziness or lack of hustle in his game.

A particular part of his game that I personally enjoy is his ability to float around the ice and get into the right position even if the opponent has kept tabs on him all game. It’s a skill that is found in the likes of Thomas Vanek, Patrick Marleau, and (modern day) Jaromir Jagr. Reinhart will only continue to develop this incredible weapon over the next year.

Everyone as cemented Jack Eichel for an NHL slot next season, but for some reason have doubted whether or not Reinhart would make the cut. Even though Jack has more natural skill that Reinhart, that is no reason to count him out. Reinhart is just as determined as Jack is and perhaps even more driven since the crowd seems to be counting him out.

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Reinhart’s stats in Juniors last year dropped from the year his was drafted, but that was done at the instruction of General Manager Tim Murray in some sense. Reinhart was told that he needed to bulk up and get stronger if he wanted to make the team, and so he worked all year long to achieve what Murray wanted from him.

Can Reinhart challenge for an NHL spot this year? Certainly. Can he outcompete Jack Eichel and push for a higher roster spot? I think it is is possible.

So where does he fit if I’m right then? The Buffalo Sabres already have Ryan O’Reilly as the top center. On his line is more than likely going to be Evander Kane. Zemgus Girgensons and Tyler Ennis will most likely still be playing the second line positions alongside of Matt Moulson (who may switch between the first and second lines), and then if Jack Eichel makes the team, he would be running the third line for Buffalo. The only open center slot would be on the fourth line then, and that is much too low of a place for Reinhart to be playing.

He has shown that he is a versatile player, so that could mean that he gets moved to the wing. This would not be such a terrible thing at all. Depending on how he plays on the wing, Reinhart could plat alongside Girgensons and Ennis in a short time, or he could be the a third line winger alongside Jack Eichel.

During development camp, Tim Murray had Sam Reinhart and Jack Eichel on opposite lines, but he had them rooming together in order to get to know each other. That seems like too much of a coincidence to me. He had them playing against each other to balance the skill set on each team, but he had them rooming together so they could prepare to be together should they both make the team in the fall.

Sam Reinhart is an intelligent playmaking forward that own the ability to make the players around him better. Jack Eichel is an equally as intelligent forward with tremendous skating and scoring ability. Putting those two sets of skills together could end up as a deadly combination.

Let’s say hypothetically that these two players do end up manning the third line for the Buffalo Sabres in the fall. Should this come to fruition, the two top Sabres talents will be playing at the top level and learning from veterans, while also contributing on the score sheet by not having to play against the rest of the league’s top talents. That task will be held down by O’Reilly, while Eichel and Reinhart get to hone and polish their skills.

Ideally this is the best situation for Buffalo to make happen in the coming year. It will allow their top talents to develop well, while also letting them push for a better record overall.

Does Sam Reinhart Belong on the Buffalo Sabres? I say yes for sure, and I say to let him play with the man challenging him for that position, Jack Eichel.

Next: The Sabres Don't Need Cody Franson

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