Can Sam Reinhart achieve his first 70-point season in 2020-21?

Buffalo Sabres’ fans received a dose of positive news on Sunday when the team announced the re-signing of Sam Reinhart.

The Buffalo Sabres didn’t re-sign 24-year old RW Sam Reinhart to a long-term deal, but his one-year deal for $5.2 million is making fans extremely excited on social media.

The one-year deal solidifies Reinhart as a restricted free agent after this season, giving us time to see if he can take that next step in his career — and see whether signing him long-term is in the cards or not.

Before last season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Reinhart contributed 22 goals and 28 assists in 69 games, recording 50 points overall in the 2019-20 season. If the season had continued, he most likely would have been on track to record his 2nd straight 60-point season.

With this projection, Sam Reinhart is definitely someone to pay attention to this upcoming season — especially with an improved roster surrounding him. The 2020-2021 season will be a good indicator of what Reinhart can contribute to the team, possibly leading to the Buffalo Sabres offering him a long term contract.

So, who do I think Reinhart should play alongside next season?

I could see Sam Reinhart on the top-line with Jack Eichel and Taylor Hall, creating more scoring opportunities for the Sabres. Eichel and Reinhart have good chemistry and seem to work well together. They’ve been with each other several years now and have been the consistent leaders on offense.

With the addition of Taylor Hall on the first line, I am very optimistic that Reinhart can finally reach that 70-point mark this upcoming season. It’s something we’ve all been waiting for.

Reinhart has been a solid contributor to this team for the past five years and was the 2nd highest scorer for Buffalo last season. If he can reach the 70-point mark in the 2020-2021 season, I believe Sabres fans can expect Buffalo to offer him a multi-year contract extension for his efforts.

I just think it would be foolish for Buffalo to let go of this developing talent if he performs that well this upcoming season.

Although I understand why some people were upset by Reinhart only being offered a one-year deal, I believe a one-year contract was the way to go. If for some reason he ends up not performing as expected, it gives Buffalo the salary cap space to bring in someone new that could be a better contributor — or to extend someone else long-term (Hall?).

What do you think? Will Sam Reinhart prove he’s worth a larger contract or could this be the beginning of the end for Reinhart in Buffalo? Let us know in the comments below!

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