"We’re going to try and keep everybody," Florida Panthers GM Bill Zito said a couple of days before re-signing Sam Reinhart.
It might not have looked like a great sign for the Florida Panthers when Sam Reinhart skipped their Stanley Cup parade on Sunday to attend a friend's wedding. But any fears that the 28-year-old would be heading to the open market were quickly put to rest when he signed an eight-year extension worth $69-million before July 1.
The massive contract, which carries an $8.625-million cap hit, is a huge win for the Panthers — and a big blow to the rest of the NHL, which had been hoping that Reinhart would be available.
Instead, Florida remains an early favorite to make a third straight trip to the final.
While the team is expected to lose defenseman Brandon Montour to free agency, re-signing Reinhart means they will have one of the league's top snipers at their disposal for a very long time.
That's bad news for the rest of the league, as Reinhart had been considered one of the top pending free agents available this summer. Now that he's off the board, the attention will turn to Steven Stamkos and Patrick Kane.
Reinhart, who finished second in the Rocket Richard Trophy race with 57 goals, had never scored more than 25 goals during his first seven seasons with the Buffalo Sabres. But since coming to Florida in 2021, only 10 players have scored more than him.
In the playoffs, he's been just as productive, scoring 10 goals and 16 points in 24 games.
For the Panthers, who lost Radko Gudas, Anthony Duclair, Marc Staal, Patric Hornqvist and Alex Lyon from the roster that went to the Cup final in 2023, the ability to keep Reinhart and most of their roster should keep them competitive for at least another year.
“We’re going to try and keep everybody,” Zito said when asked about next year’s UFA class. “Obviously, it’s a special group. We’ll try to keep as many guys as we can and be mindful that there’s opportunities for people.
"Either way, we'll have a good team."
Indeed, it's a team that could win back-to-back championships. And with Reinhart signed until the 2031-32 season, perhaps even more.