At the end of every NHL season, only one team is satisfied with the roster decisions that were made during the previous year. Unlike years past, the Florida Panthers have a very quick turnaround from the last game played until the first major event of the offseason. Florida has just 15 days to regroup from a loss in the Stanley Cup Finals to making the 63 rd selection of the NHL Draft – barring a trade.
Of course, the front office has been in planning mode for months, not just for the draft, but also for the financial and roster decisions the Panthers will need to make to build a team that can duplicate and exceed last year’s accomplishments. General manager Bill Zito has 10 pending free agents – two arbitration eligible restricted free agents and eight unrestricted free agents. Luckily, Zito does not have any marquee players set to hit the market. However, Florida has nine players entering the final season of their contracts in 2023-24. Zito has traditionally made his mark on the roster through dynamic trades, shrewd signings, and savvy waiver claims. If this trend continues, the Panthers biggest moves this offseason could come from a swap rather than a splashy signing.
Let’s take a look at the Cats’ most tradeable assets going into this offseason and the arguments for why Zito should or why he should not consider dealing these particular Panthers.
Sam Reinhart • Forward
2023-24 Cap Hit: $6.5 million
2023-24 Salary: $4.5 million with a $2 million signing bonus
Trade Value: High
Famously one of three of the top four selections from the 2014 NHL Entry Draft that is currently on the Panthers roster, Sam Reinhart was acquired by Zito in a trade with the Buffalo Sabres in July of 2021 for Florida’s first round draft pick in 2022 and highly touted goaltending prospect Devon Levi. In two seasons with the Panthers, Reinhart has posted back-to-back 30-plus goal seasons and has tallied 149 points in 160 games – an increase in his points per game total from 0.65 in Buffalo to 0.93 with the Cats. Reinhart’s power play numbers have been excellent since coming to Sunrise. He has put up 32 goals with the man-advantage in two years, accounting for 41% of his career total. Sam showed growth in his game during the playoffs in 2023. After just four points in 10 games a year ago, Reinhart put up eight goals and 13 points in 21 games, but struggled to score, like many Panthers, in the Stanley Cup Final series against the Vegas Golden Knights. Lauded by Paul Maurice for his hockey sense and advanced on-ice IQ, Reinhart has displayed brilliant hand-eye coordination in his play around the net. Despite career numbers and excellent power play production, Reinhart has had difficulty finding a consistent role with the Panthers at 5-on-5. At times, there has been chemistry with Anton Lundell as his center, but Reinhart has remained a middle of the pack possession player at even-strength in his tenure with the Cats.
Why the Panthers should trade Reinhart: When the Panthers acquired Reinhart two years ago, Sam was a restricted free agent. Zito quickly inked him to a bridge deal for $6.5 million over three seasons. Since then, Reinhart has put up career-best goal scoring and point production. At the time he was acquired, Sam was seen as an option at center, but since joining Florida he has been primarily deployed as a wing that will take some draws when necessary. $6.5 million is a good price for Reinhart’s offense, but he hasn’t firmly meshed with the Panthers other premier forwards (Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, Carter Verhaeghe, Sam Bennett) in the top six.
If Reinhart were to hit the open market in 2024 and he registers another 30-goal season, the average annual price for his services could push to $8 million or more. The Panthers, even with a possible $4 million increase in salary cap across the board, would still have difficulty fitting that type of money alongside Sergei Bobrovsky ($10 million), Barkov ($10 million), and Tkachuk ($9.5 million).
There is also the question of term. Reinhart will be going into his age 28 season this year. Zito shipped Jonathan Huberdeau to Calgary last summer in part, presumably, because of what a long-term contract might look like for the star forward that stretches into his mid-to-late 30s. Reinhart hasn’t indicated a desired term, but if he’s seeking more than five years, the Panthers might be wary of dedicating that much term to a player that hasn’t entrenched himself in the top six.
An advantage of trading Reinhart is that his value is quite high and his salary is palatable for a team that might be looking to upgrade a top six and power play. Sam is from the Pacific Northwest, so teams like Seattle or Vancouver might have mutual appeal if he’s interested in going home. If Reinhart were to hit the trade market, there would be plenty of suitors willing to put together enticing packages. He could elicit a return of a high-end draft pick, a prospect, a NHL position player or any combination of those assets. A move of Reinhart would clear up to $6.5 million in salary that could be critical in upgrading the Panthers depth and a perceived need on the blue line for a strong top-4 option on the left side.
Why the Panthers should hold onto Reinhart: A perennial 30-goal scorer and 0.93 point producer for $6.5 million is a solid deal. Reinhart has melded into the core of this roster and appears to be a well-liked and respected member of the locker room – a component that holds weight with Bill Zito. Reinhart isn’t a unicorn, but his skill set is not common. The hands, the deflection ability, the high in-game IQ are all part of a package that add value to just about any top six. These are also skills that do not erode quickly as a player advances in age. Smart hockey players can play for a long time and be successful.
The Panthers invested in Reinhart for two years and have seen progress in playoff production. If the ultimate goal is to win a Stanley Cup and build to that through experience, not retaining Reinhart may set the team back without a proper replacement. Sam feels like a part of the solution, but the Cats need to be intentional about getting more 5-on-5 production out of him. There needs to be a strategic effort to find him linemates that compliment his skills at even-strength so the organization isn’t purely relying on his power play numbers to justify keeping him in the fold long-term.
If the Panthers can’t work out an extension prior to the season, holding onto Reinhart would also give Zito a massive trade chip near the trade deadline if the season goes south. Florida wisely stayed above the fray this year, but they may not have that luxury with so many key players set to become free agents in the summer of 2024. A player with Reinhart’s resume could pry quite a few assets for a desperate general manager next spring.
Prediction: I do not expect Reinhart to be shopped, but I do expect Zito to listen, especially around the draft. Reinhart’s name could definitely hit the rumor mill later this month. However, I believe Zito’s first inclination will be to open negotiations for an extension when July 1 rolls around. Those initial conversations may determine what the front office does with Reinhart over the next 13 months. I believe Reinhart will wear the Panthers’ crest in 2023-24.