Panthers' Sam Reinhart Projected to Take Step Back

Coming off of a career-best season with the Florida Panthers, Sam Reinhart is projected to take a step back.

May 28, 2024; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers center Sam Reinhart (13) looks on after scoring the game-winning goal during overtime against the New York Rangers in game four of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports / Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

The Florida Panthers are riding high following their 2024 Stanley Cup championship. Heading into the new season, the roster has changed, but the core remains in place and ready to defend their title.

A huge part of the Panthers' offseason was negotiating a new contract with scoring winger Sam Reinhart. Coming off of a 57-goal season and a fantastic postseason, Reinhart was in line for an expensive extension. It took some time, but the Panthers and Reinhart agreed to a new, eight-year contract to keep him in Florida for the forseeable future.

Armed with a new contract, the Panthers expect Reinhart to continue producing at a high rate. For others, the expectation is that Reinhart will regress fresh off of signing his new contract.

ESPN recently published their fantasy hockey rankings and outlooks for the 2025 season. While Reinhart's teammate Matthew Tkachuk received a huge projection for the upcoming campaign, Reinhart's outlook is less optimistic. According to their projections, Reinhart is set to take a step back in 2025, specifically in the goal-scoring department. Ranked as the 24th player in the NHL, ESPN They wrote about why they see him as a regression candidate.

"Buoyed by a completely unsustainable 24.5 shooting percentage -- well above his previous career-best mark of 19.2 percent -- Reinhart scored 57 goals (and 94 points) in 82 games last season," they wrote. "The number placed him second in the NHL behind only Toronto's Auston Matthews. With no choice but to pay up following his career year and a Stanley Cup championship, Florida inked Reinhart to an eight-year, $69 million deal following the season. Reinhart is an excellent player on one of the NHL's best teams, but perhaps no player in the league is at greater risk of burning fantasy managers this coming fall. Don't overpay on draft day."

ESPN's outlook on Reinhart is incredibly pessimistic, but painfully realistic. He's been in the NHL full-time since the 2015-2016 season. Over nearly a decade in the league, he's recorded five 20 to 25-goal seasons, two 30+ goal seasons, and one season with more than 40 goals. There's no doubting that Reinhart is one of the better and more consistent scorers in the league, but there's no evidence to suggest he's more than a 30 goal scorer at this stage of his career.

Nonetheless, he remains an important piece for the Panthers. Set to turn 29 during the upcoming season, Reinhart aims to prove ESPN and his doubters wrong and post another 50-goal season.

Make sure you bookmark Breakaway OnSI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more! 

• Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk Recreates Iconic Photo With Jason Tatum
• Avalanche Captain Sets Timeline for Injury Return
• Former Player Pushing Oilers to Make Offer Sheet
• Capitals Could Bring Back Fan-Favorite Jerseys
• WWE, NHL Team Up for Championship Belt Collaboration