Panthers forward Sam Reinhart speaks to the media following Florida's 8-4 win in Colorado on Jan. 6. Sam Reinhart is setting himself up for an extremely nice payday. The 28-year-old pending unrestricted free agent is enjoying the best season of his career, and the timing couldn’t be better. Through his first 40 games of the season, Reinhart has racked up an eye-popping 29 goals and 51 points. Entering play Thursday, Reinhart’s 29 goals are the second-most in the NHL, behind only Auston Matthews’ 31. Reinhart also leads the NHL in power play goals, with 14, and only five players have more shorthanded goals this season than Reinhart’s two. In addition to all the scoring, his two-way play has been just as good. Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAwNjE3OTM2NjIzMjQ4NDky/img_6014.jpg] Reinhart’s impact on the game in the defensive zone, while perhaps not as flashy or attention worthy, is arguably just as integral to Florida’s success as his offensive production. He is a perfect fit in the systems being run by Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice. Needless to say, it seems Reinhart is in the best possible place to find success in his career at both the team and individual levels. When it comes to his contract status, Reinhart has been steadfast over the past year in expressing his desire to stay with Florida. Appearing on the latest episode of the Frankly Speaking podcast hosted by Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli [https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/sam-reinhart-says-contract-discussions-with-florida-panthers-are-ongoing-and-definitely-positive], Reinhart maintained that he wants to sign an extension with the Panthers and that the discussions are continuing. “That’s the goal,” Reinhart told Seravalli when asked about staying with the Panthers. “I love it in Florida, and I know they’re happy to have me. I’m just happy with where we’re at as a team right now.” That’s no surprise. The Panthers are fresh off two of best seasons in franchise history, one in which they won the Presidents’ Trophy and another where they reached the Stanley Cup Final. Currently, Florida is riding an eight-game winning streak and has more road wins than any team in the league. It’s a good time to be a Panther. With so much going on around the team, and another potentially long playoff run looming ahead, Reinhart was asked about his upcoming career decision, and what it’s like negotiating for a new contract in the middle of hockey season. “Being in a contract year isn’t something new to me,” Reinhart said to Seravalli. “I’ve got no problem with contract negotiations being ongoing, it’s not taking away from my preparation or how I handle day to day. That’s kind of where I stay in my head, kind of my focus. The interest is definitely mutual and definitely positive.” It sounds like things are moving in the right direction for both sides. We’ll see how things play out over the next several months, if not sooner. LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA High-flying Panthers return home to host struggling Los Angeles [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/high-flying-panthers-return-home-to-host-struggling-los-angeles] Defenseman Lucas Carlsson selected to AHL All-Star Classic [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/defenseman-lucas-carlsson-selected-to-ahl-all-star-classic] Three takeaways: Unlikely heroes step up, Panthers dig deep for tough road win [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/features/three-takeaways-unlikely-heroes-step-up-panthers-dig-deep-for-tough-road-win] Matthew Tkachuk caps impressive run with hometown hat trick in front of family, friends [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/features/matthew-tkachuk-caps-impressive-run-with-hometown-hat-trick-in-front-of-family-friends] Tkachuk, Panthers stay hot, wrap up road trip with 5-1 win in St. Louis [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/tkachuk-panthers-stay-hot-wrap-up-road-trip-with-5-1-win-in-st-louis] Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAxNjQxMjA5NjI4NzMxMDIz/unnamed.jpg]
