Florida Panthers superstar Sam Reinhart, who was selected by the Buffalo Sabres with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2014 NHL draft, continues to rack up accolades after helping lead the Cats to their second straight Stanley Cup championship in June.
Dom Luszczyszyn of The Athletic released his annual analysis of the league's 10 best contracts on Tuesday, which is based on a player's future on-ice value compared to their current deal. Reinhart checked in at No. 4 on the list.
The 29-year-old Canadian is linked to Florida through the 2031-32 season as part of an eight-year, $69 million contract ($8.63 million AAV). Luszczyszyn estimates the winger's true value is $13.8 million, and projects there's a 96% chance he provides the Panthers with positive value for the duration of the deal.
Jack Hughes (New Jersey Devils), Brandon Hagel (Tampa Bay Lightning) and Seth Jarvis (Carolina Hurricanes) are the only players ranked above Reinhart. Hagel is a former Sabres prospect, but he never signed with the franchise after being selected in the 2016 sixth round.
Reinhart's tenure in Buffalo
Reinhart wasn't an instant sensation for the Sabres. He spent most of his first year in the organization playing for his junior team, the WHL's Kootenay Ice, after scoring just one point in nine appearances while opening the campaign in Buffalo.
Although he established himself as a full-time NHL player the following year, it wasn't until his third complete campaign that he reached the 50-point threshold. His best season for the Sabres came in 2018-19 when he tallied 65 points (22 goals and 43 assists).
Reinhart never quite reached star status in Buffalo. He was a solid point producer and his defensive game made progress across seven seasons, but he didn't look like one of the league's elite players, even when factoring in the limited talent around him.
In turn, the Sabres decided to start another roster revamp in 2021 rather than paying the Vancouver native as a restricted free agent. They traded him to the Panthers in July and, less than four months later, fellow building block Jack Eichel was dealt to the Vegas Golden Knights.
Looking back at the Sabres-Panthers trade
What's frustrating for Sabres fans about the Reinhart move is the fact that, unlike Eichel, he hadn't requested a trade out of Buffalo. In fact, he even called Adams after the deal to apologize for not playing a big enough role in turning the organization's fortunes around:
Sam Reinhart calls #Sabres GM Kevyn Adams after being traded to the #FloridaPanthers and apologizes for not being able to get the job done in #Buffalo
— Missin Curfew (@MissinCurfew) June 26, 2024
3 years later … Reinhart is a #StanleyCup Champion pic.twitter.com/9OPtoSrREB
While it's far too early to call the trade a complete failure for the Sabres, things are not trending in a positive direction given Reinhart's success in Florida.
Buffalo received goalie prospect Devon Levi and a first-round pick, which became center Jiri Kulich, in the deal.
Levi, 23, has struggled at the NHL level with a 3.29 goals against average and .894 save percentage in 39 appearances across the past three seasons. He did show signs of progress with a .922 SV% over the last two years with the AHL's Rochester Americans. He's projected to start this season with the Amerks.
Kulich, 21, earned a permanent spot in the Sabres lineup last season, but there were growing pains. He recorded a modest 24 points (15 goals and nine assists) despite a lot of top-six minutes and he struggled defensively, though that isn't uncommon for young forwards.
Both Kulich and Levi may eventually become core pieces for Buffalo, but watching Reinhart blossom into a bona fide stud with the Atlantic Division rival Panthers has to sting the front office.
Becoming Mr. Clutch in Florida
Yes, Reinhart's production has exploded while playing alongside the Panthers' far more talented supporting cast. He compiled an eye-popping 57 goals during the 2023-24 season, and he's posted a total of 324 points in 321 games since arriving in Florida. Oh yeah, he's also become one of the NHL's best defensive forwards, finishing second in Selke Trophy voting this past season.
That won't even be his lasting legacy, though.
Reinhart has emerged as the Panthers' closer. What Mariano Rivera was to the New York Yankees in the World Series, the dynamic winger has become for Florida in the Stanley Cup Final.
In 2024, he scored the game-winning goal in Game 7 of the Panthers' triumph over the Edmonton Oilers as the franchise captured its first Cup.
This year, he scored four of Florida's five goals in Game 6 as the Panthers closed out a rematch with the Oilers in the Cup Final.
Put it all together and it's easy to see why Reinhart ranks among the NHL's best contracts, and his departure is one of many failures by the Sabres during their 14-year playoff drought.