The Florida Panthers are your Stanley Cup champions for the first time. And while celebrations were certainly in order, winning championships comes at a cost. Florida found this out in short order as they lost a number of key players to NHL Free Agency. However, they were able to keep one big name from hitting the open market. The Panthers signed forward Sam Reinhart to an eight-year contract extension just before July 1.
It's certainly understandable why Florida chose to extend Reinhart. The veteran forward has emerged as a legitimate star since joining the Panthers through a trade in 2021. This past season saw him become one of the best goal-scorers in the league. He scored 57 goals and 94 points in the regular season while adding 10 goals and 16 points in the playoffs.
Reinhart sticks around in South Florida after scoring the game-winner in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. With NHL Free Agency settling down, let's take a look at his new contract. The grades are in for Sam Reinhart and the Panthers after they agreed to an eight-year, $69 million contract extension before July 1.
Sam Reinhart signs with Panthers
It's hard to understate how much of an impact Reinhart has on the Panthers. He finished second on the team with 15.1 offensive goals above replacement, 6 defensive goals above replacement, and 3.4 wins above replacement. He is a legitimate two-way star who has played a major role in helping Florida become the Stanley Cup contender it is today.
As a result, there are two sides at play from the player's perspective. On one hand, he easily could have gone to NHL Free Agency and made a lot of money. He may have even found this payday on a team that may be in Stanley Cup contention like the Panthers. You certainly couldn't blame him for looking for a big payday after a season like he just completed.
On the other hand, remaining with the Panthers makes a ton of sense. After all, he already knows he can win a Stanley Cup with this team. Sure, he may make less than he would have on the open market. But he has an understanding about how the Panthers look moving forward that he wouldn't have with any other team.
Reinhart chose the latter. It's hard to knock him for choosing to remain with what's familiar. And it isn't like he is truly hurting from not going and getting a bigger payday on the open market. Still, it's worth pointing out he could have received a sizeable amount of money more than he did with Florida in NHL Free Agency.
Panthers sign Sam Reinhart
The Panthers are certainly happy to have this deal done. Reinhart was an especially important piece to their team. Though losing the likes of Brandon Montour and Oliver Ekman-Larsson certainly hurt, it would have been significantly more difficult to replace Reinhart.
Florida gets a very good price for him in this contract. There's certainly no guarantee that he will score nearly 60 goals a season moving forward. But if he can maintain his defensive form while scoring 40-50 a year, the Panthers can definitely live with his cap hit.
In a sense, this is the perfect deal for Florida. Reinhart is an incredible fit on the roster and in the organization as a whole. They keep him around for the maximum eight years while also getting him at a rather sizeable discount. Unless Reinhart falls off a cliff, this could be a bargain for the Panthers moving forward.
Grades and final thoughts
Sam Reinhart and the Panthers receive high marks for this contract. The Panthers get a discount on a max-term contract to keep their star forward from NHL Free Agency. And Reinhart remains a key player on the team that delivered him his first Stanley Cup. A team that could certainly deliver him another sooner rather than later, as well.
Sam Reinhart grade: A-
Florida Panthers grade: A+
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