Fan Mailbag: Should the Buffalo Sabres bring back Sam Reinhart?
By Zach Jezioro
For this addition of Buffalo Sabres fan mailbag, i asked fans if the team should bring back Sam Reinhart. I got tons of responses and broke them down.
This was probably the best Buffalo Sabres fan mailbag ever when it comes to the responses I got. Earlier this week, I asked Sabres fans if they would like for Buffalo to bring back former Sabre Sam Reinhart. There has been some speculation Sammy could be traded so I thought I would ask the question.
You guys delivered with the responses and I will break a few of them down in this article. Due to not having this article ending up like the Gettysburg Address or a CVS receipt, I had to unfortunately leave out some of the responses.
Should the Buffalo Sabres bring back Sam Reinhart?
Yes. That phone call when he was being traded. He got what he wanted but he still thought of Buffalo and how he wished he could be part of the solution. Imagine he comes back and they make playoffs?? It would be amazing!
— Nicole Becker (@Crazy4Skinner53) January 31, 2023
Having Reinhart with this core of players could really be beneficial for the Sabres. We got a small sample of Sam in Granato’s system and he did really well. When he got traded to Florida, he called general manager Kevyn Adams which you don’t see a lot. His goodbye to Buffalo on his social media page was him talking from the heart and you can tell he definitely thought it out.
https://twitter.com/__smreynolds/status/1620534906425344001?s=20&t=cZavKlrDHT4nW4K9mjD38g
These responses were very mixed. Most of the people who said no think he was toxic and didn’t want to be here. Although it could be true, I think otherwise but I’ll address those comments at the end of this article.
I would love for it to happen but I'm not sure how he would fit in with the current group. Sam would be beneficial on the power play.
— Gabby Carr (@gabbyc2010) February 1, 2023
If Buffalo was to get Reinhart, they would most likely have to trade a key roster player and with the spot Buffalo is in, you don’t want to mess up the chemistry. As for the power play, it wouldn’t hurt to have another talented player like Sam on the unit.
I’m torn on this. He’s a great player, but a bit slow to keep up with the kids. Who sits if he comes back? Quinn, Peterka, Jost? While he maybe more skilled, he’s slower and doesn’t grind like the kids. Just my opinion of course. I kinda like the roster as-is.
— Roscoe P Coltrane (@1SG_O) January 31, 2023
This is kind of related to my last point. If Sam was acquired, who would sit? As for the forwards on this team, it’s a pretty good group and you don’t want to ruin any chemistry with how close the team is to a playoff spot. Even though Sammy could help them, it’s a great point to think about when it comes to the chemistry.
Remember when I said I was going to cut some replies out and keep the article short? To be honest with you guys, I don’t think Sam was toxic. Now I don’t know what’s going on in the locker room or how he felt about being here, but I don’t think it’s fair to call him part of the problem. Yes it didn’t work out with him here, but he didn’t seem like a “cancer” from what we fans can tell. Again, he could have been part of it and I could have missed something but that’s what I think.
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That’s my opinion and everyone has their own thoughts which is fine. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. He was a fan favorite and was a good player on a team that was bad for the longest time. For the record, I don’t think the Sabres will trade for him but this was definitely a good discussion to have with the fanbase.
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