Insider: Panthers Will Be In Tough, But "Taking A Run" At Reinhart Extension

It's one of the great contract seasons of all-time in the NHL. Sam Reinhart has exploded for a 50-goal season this year as an impending unrestricted free agent. Will the Florida Panthers have the ability to keep him? 

Hockey insider Darren Dreger tells TSN's Insider Trading that talks haven't begun yet, but that the Panthers will "take a run" at re-signing Reinhart, despite the high bar that's been set in recent contract extensions.

They are not negotiating yet, but there's been good dialogue between management of the Panthers and the Reinhart camp. 

There's appreciation for the fit there both from Sam Reinhart's position, and from the position of (GM) Bill Zito and the Panthers... Florida most definitely will take a run (at re-signing him).

But as Dreger notes, the market has been set high by the likes of the Toronto Maple Leafs and William Nylander (8 years x $11.5M), and the Vancouver Canucks and Elias Pettersson (8 years x $11.6M) and it will be a huge number that the Panthers will have to come up with.

How much the "mutual appreciation" of the fit between the two plays into this may be the telltale sign of whether Reinhart does indeed remain in Florida for the long haul.

Reinhart, who had a career-high of 33 goals before this season, has potted 51 thus far in 72 games to go along with another career-best of 84 points. He also leads the NHL in both power-play markers with 27 and shorthanded goals, with five. The 28-year-old is averaging 20 minutes of ice time per night and has put together a plus-minus rating of +21. He's coming off a three-year, $19.5 million contract with an AAV of $6.5 million.

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