Reinhart is having a career season, already with 37 goals, and is currently participating in his first NHL All-Star Game

One of the most discussed topics surrounding the Florida Panthers this season has been the contract status of Sam Reinhart.

The pending unrestricted free agent is having a career year and setting himself up for a big payday on his next deal.

Entering the All-Star break, Reinhart is second in the NHL with 37 goals (behind only Auston Matthews’ 40) and tied for tenth in the league with 62 points though his first 49 games.

Should Reinhart decide to test the open market next summer, the 28-year-old would be one of the most highly coveted free agents in recent memory.

Whenever the topic has come up over the past year, though, Reinhart has maintained that he’d like to sign an extension with the Panthers and stay in Florida for the foreseeable future, and the messages from General Manger Bill Zito have echoed a similar sentiment.

While, as of the All-Star break, Reinhart’s camp and Zito’s staff have engaged in some discussions, there have been no official negotiations just yet, according to a source.

That doesn’t mean talks won’t pick up as the season progresses, which Reinhart doesn’t seem concerned about dealing with as the Panthers attempt another run to the Stanley Cup Final.

“I’ve got no issues with (discussions) being ongoing, and certainly they don’t either,” Reinhart said during All-Star Weekend in Toronto. “We are both comfortable with where we’re at and we’re both trying to ultimately win a Stanley Cup this year, and that’s where our focus is mainly.”

Getting a deal done before the offseason would seemingly be ideal for all parties involved, but at least from Reinhart’s side, he seems comfortable with letting the process play out however it may materialize.

“It doesn’t have to be,” Reinhart said when asked if he’d like a new deal to happen during the season. “We both know where each other stands, we both know we want to get something done, and we’re both comfortable with how it’s going. It is not distracting me by any means. I think when you’re trying to build something that we’re trying to in Florida, some things take time.”

Considering how calm and comfortable Reinhart has sounded when discussing the topic, it sure gives off the vibe that he’s not stressing about anything.

Combining that with knowing how much he wants to stay in Florida long-term and how Zito has expressed a desire to keep Reinhart beyond his current deal, it begs the question of when, and how quickly, a deal may get done when both sides officially begin negotiating.

“That’s obviously the goal, from both sides. We’ve both made that clear,” Reinhart said. “Time will tell, but that’s Option A.”

Another important question regarding any potential new contract would be not only the dollar amount, but the length.

Is Reinhart looking for a full eight years? Would Zito offer that to a player two seasons away from his 30s?

Time will tell.

“As a player, you want that comfort, and that’s not going to change my drive as a player or as a person,” Reinhart said of a long-term extension. “The short-term deals haven’t been that easy. It was something that I joked with Joe Thornton a couple years ago in Florida. I think two or three (years) was his longest, and you see the type of career he has had, but I think it’s something you want to take advantage of every opportunity you can get.”

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