The Buffalo Sabres have a few players this season that deserve some heat coming from the fans, but one in particular seems to be getting a lot of undeserved negative attention; Sam Reinhart.
On days that do not involve watching Sabres games, I find myself browsing the internet, scanning Buffalo Sabres facebook fan pages, and plenty more. During these searches there is a plethora of complaining about players that fans cannot stand to see failing this season. One player in particular has been getting a lot of negative reactions, and that is Sam Reinhart.
Reinhart started this season on the first line alongside Jack Eichel and Jeff Skinner or Conor Sheary. In the first portion of the year, the goal scoring was almost nonexistent for the entire team and it seems like fans were giving some heat to Reinhart for this.
Yes, Sam Reinhart is a former #2 overall pick (2014), and he was praised some for his general scoring ability, but mostly for his hockey IQ; his ability to read plays, make other players look better, and be a top end playmaker. Once Reinhart found his way to the NHL, he has taken those skills a step further and sideways. In his junior years he was a finesse player that created scoring chances, but in the NHL he has found his niche as a net front player who can make plays in high traffic areas. A player like this will usually go unnoticed unless they are scoring a majority of the goals.
Here is something I want to put forwards. I have said it time and time again that Sam Reinhart is not a flashy or high profile player. His skill lies in his ability, rather, to stay under the radar and create offense where and when opponents do not see it.
Here is a fact, Sam Reinhart is a playmaker. His vision with the puck is something that can only rivaled by the likes of Jack Eichel on this team. While some people may say that this is an exaggeration of his skill, he puts it on display, time and time again. Here is just one example of the kinds of high pressure and precision passes that he can, and does make on a regular basis…
#9 with the dangles & backhander for the goal 🙌 pic.twitter.com/9bQlRrq8tE
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) October 8, 2018
People tend to get hung up on the scoring stats alone for Sam Reinhart. In his short NHL career he has amassed 146 points in 261 games, and 80 of those points are assists. In his rookie season, he amassed 42 points in 79 games, which is a solid outing for a first year player, specially considering he had 23 goals. In his two season following that, Reinhart posted 47 points and 50 points respectively. Last season he had 25 goals and 25 assists and was one of the top point scorers on the team besides Eichel and former Sabres forward Ryan O’Reilly. With a constant improvement to his point totals, and a great focus to his game, Reinhart will only continue to improve and produce at a higher rate.
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Here’s the thing, Reinhart has 1 goal and 5 assists so far this season for a total of 6 points in 12 games. This puts him on pace for 41 points this year, but the reality is that he will get more than that. While now it seems that he is off to a slow start, he is still producing in some way, so once the middle of the season rolls around, a player like Reinhart will heat up and be a much more noticeable player.
While there isn’t much playoff experience on this current Buffalo Sabres team at all (and this isn’t me saying that we are making the playoffs this season) having a front of the net presence is something that is highly valued in a playoff atmosphere. Everyone who knows hockey and watches the full playoffs every year knows that games don’t always come down to the star players racking up 5 points per night. Many times it is the unsung or otherwise under appreciated players that decide the outcomes of playoff matches. Having a player like Sam Reinhart to make the smart plays and to create chances when opponents least expect it will be a dangerous asset when the time finally comes to join the playoffs.
When I watch Sam Reinhart’s game I try to draw comparisons to other players around the league. When he was drafted into the league, there were some comparisons being drawn to Henrik Zetterberg, but I will disagree with that notion. The player that I personally would compare him to is Thomas Vanek. While Vanek is known as a goal scoring player, he made his name known as one of the best net front players in the league. Many Buffalo Sabres fans will remember the amount of goals he scored on tips in front of the net, and how he found his way to open ice to create scoring chances in tough areas. While Sam Reinhart doesn’t have the natural goal scoring ability like Vanek does, their skating style, their net front play, and their on-ice vision are easily comparable. The difference is that Reinhart is a much more complete player than Vanek. Reinhart plays a stronger two-way game and has the ability to be in the right place at the right time in most situations. This makes him a little more dangerous, especially when he finds his groove this year.
So here’s my message to Sabres fans, do not give up on Sam Reinhart just yet. This guy has so much still left to show us, and you will not regret being on his side when he finds his way to proper form. Not every player drafted at the top turns into a star, sometimes they don’t pan out at all. For Sam Reinhart, he most likely won’t be a 90 point forward in his career, but he will be a consistent one (between 55-70 points) once he finds his proper stride.