Sam Reinhart signed an eight-year contract with the Florida Panthers on Monday. Financial terms were not disclosed.
The 28-year-old forward, who was in the final season of a three-year contract he signed with Florida on Aug. 11, 2021, could have become an unrestricted free agent at noon ET. In order for him to have signed for eight years with the Panthers, the contract had to have been registered with the NHL Central Registry prior to midnight on Sunday.
“Since coming to South Florida, Sam has demonstrated his ability to be a powerful scoring threat while maintaining strong defensive play,” Panthers general manager Bill Zito said. “His versatility and value as a player are only outshined by his premier personality and work ethic, and we are pleased to have him continue on with our group.”
Reinhart scored an NHL career-high 57 goals last season, which was second in the NHL behind Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (69). He also led the NHL with a career-high 27 power-play goals and 34 power-play points, and led Florida with a career-high 94 points.
Reinhart then had 16 points (10 goals, six assists) in 24 Stanley Cup Playoff games, including scoring the Cup-clinching goal for the Panthers in Game 7 of the Final against the Edmonton Oilers.
Selected by the Buffalo Sabres with the No. 2 pick in the 2014 NHL Draft, Reinhart has 538 points (255 goals, 283 assists) in 696 regular-season games with the Sabres and Panthers. He also has 33 points (21 goals, 12 assists) in 55 playoff games.
Reinhart’s best NHL seasons have come since he was acquired by Florida in a trade with Buffalo on July 24, 2021. During his first season with the Panthers in 2021-22, Reinhart had 82 points, including an NHL career-high 49 assists, in 78 games. He then had 67 points (31 goals, 36 assists) in 82 games in 2022-23 before setting his career high in goals and points last season.
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