The most prominent top-scoring forward available has come off the NHL’s free-agent market.
Forward Sam Reinhart has agreed to an eight-year, $69 million contract with the Florida Panthers, league sources said. The deal is expected to be announced Monday. Reinhart was ranked as the top unrestricted free agent, according to The Athletic’s Chris Johnston.
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Reinhart had a career year with the Panthers, establishing personal single-season highs in goals (57) and points (94) in 82 regular-season games.
He was second to Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews in goals scored this past year. The 28-year-old added 10 goals and 16 points in 23 playoff games, including the game-winning goal in Game 7 against the Edmonton Oilers to win the Stanley Cup.
Moments after winning the Cup, Reinhart expressed his desire to remain with Florida as a pending unrestricted free agent.
Sam Reinhart, pending UFA: "I don't want to leave. I want to be here." pic.twitter.com/3wDc3Xk1jt
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) June 25, 2024
The No. 2 pick from the 2014 NHL Draft has 255 goals and 538 points in 696 career NHL games spent with the Panthers and Buffalo Sabres.
Required reading
- How Panthers avoided historic collapse to win their first Stanley Cup with 2-1 Game 7 win: 5 takeaways
- Sam Reinhart’s career year ahead of UFA was ‘a fluke,’ and the Panthers want the whole NHL to know it
- How the NHL’s top 4 2014 draft picks all ended up in 2024 Stanley Cup Final
(Photo: Joel Auerbach / Getty Images)