Panthers Extending Reinhart Would Create Salary Cap Casualties

A big key to their success has been the emergence of forward Sam Reinhart, who is having the best season of his career and the best since he was dealt to the Panthers three offseasons ago. However, he is currently in the last year of his current deal. All signs point to him returning with how well he’s played. However, it could come at a massive cost.

Sam Reinhart’s Electric Season

Reinhart has been the best player on the Panthers roster, and it’s not even close. Through 49 games, he leads the team in goals with 37, which is second in the NHL behind Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews, who has 40. In addition, he leads not only his team, but the league in power play goals (PPG) with 20. That PPG total is also the most by a Panther in franchise history. Furthermore, he leads the team in points with 62, 11 ahead of Matthew Tkachuk, who has 51.

Because of how great he’s been through the first half of the season, he was named to the NHL All-Star roster for the upcoming All-Star Game this weekend. This is the first time in his career he was given the honor.

How Much is Reinhart Expected to Get?

Three seasons ago, Reinhart signed a three-year deal worth $6.5 million a season. With how well he’s performed over the last couple of seasons both in the regular season and postseason, he’s expected to get a raise.

But the question is: how much? Maple Leafs forward William Nylander signed a massive eight-year extension worth $11.5 million a year that kicks in next season, completely leveling the market for forwards. With that in mind, Reinhart could be licking his chops for his next deal as he could be looking to get somewhere around the $10 million range. If you look at other players on the team making close to that money, for example, Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov, he fits into that category. He’s playing better than both of them this season so far. The state of Florida does not pay an income tax, so the front office does not have to pay him as much as Nylander to get the same value.

Panthers Could Lose a Few Pieces

Much like Reinhart, Florida has a ton of unrestricted free agents (UFA) as of this upcoming offseason. This includes notable pieces such as Brandon Montour, Gustav Forsling, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Additionally, they have some players on contracts that end the following offseason in Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Bennett.

Because of the raise Reinhart is expected to receive, they may not be able to bring back the pieces listed in the coming years. In addition, they may ask players such as Aaron Ekblad and Sergei Bobrovsky to waive their no-movement clauses in an attempt to shore up cap space. Either way, there would be some sort of cap casualty.

What’s Next?

According to David Dwork, Reinhart is “optimistic” about the ongoing talks of a new, team-friendly deal. He spoke more about it on Frank Seravalli’s talk show.

“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.”

Sam Reinhart on a potential extension with the Florida Panthers

With the phenomenal season he is having, Reinhart is setting himself up for one heck of a payday. Regardless, it may cost the team veteran pieces and fan favorites. Unfortunately, losing anyone to the business side of the NHL is a heart-shattering process for everyone involved. Ultimately, it’s a tale as old as time and it is destined to happen to a team at some point in their history.