The Florida Panthers and Sam Reinhart are rumored to have a mutual desire to stay together. The club is hopeful to sign Reinhart to a contract extension, per The Athletic. Reinhart also seems completely open to staying in Florida.

Reinhart is one of several NHL players set to become a free agent when the market officially opens for transactions on July 1. The center is going to be an unrestricted free agent. Before negotiations begin on a possible new contract, Reinhart and the Panthers have other pressing business. The team is set to play in the Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers.

Reinhart's role with the Panthers this season

Florida Panthers center Sam Reinhart (13) celebrates after scoring against the New York Rangers during the first period in game three of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amerant Bank Arena.
Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

The winger had a great season in Florida, and the campaign isn't done. During the regular season, Reinhart scored 57 goals. It was far and away a career-high campaign for the center in that statistical category. His previous season high was back in 2021-22, when he scored 33 goals in his first campaign with Florida.

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Reinhart also finished the regular season with 94 points. He also led the NHL this season in shooting percentage, per The Score, with a 24.5 mark. In the postseason, the Panthers center has continued his outstanding production. Reinhart has posted eight goals and four assists in this postseason, playing in 17 contests.

The center was a key contributor in the team's last playoff series against the New York Rangers. Reinhart scored the game winning goal in Game 4 of this year's Eastern Conference Final. If the Panthers had dropped that game, they would have been in a 3-1 hole to the Rangers. The Panthers are surely going to be working overtime once the season is over to try and keep their productive scorer. They are likely to keep him, per The Score. The team would be foolish to let the center get away. Reinhart is now only the second Panther player to ever score 50 goals in a season. The other is Pavel Bure, who actually accomplished that feat twice, more than 20 years ago.

In his NHL career, Reinhart has scored 255 goals. He has added 283 assists, playing for the Panthers and Buffalo Sabres. Reinhart is a versatile player, able to log time on the ice in the center or wing positions. He was selected second overall by the Sabres in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. Interestingly, Buffalo is expected to be one of the strongest suitors to try and sign Reinhart this offseason.

Before the Panthers can work on a new contract, the team has business to complete in the Stanley Cup Final. Florida and the Edmonton Oilers play Game 1 on Saturday. Panthers fans are surely hoping the team continues to get production from their star player. Florida is looking for their first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history.