Samson Reinhart: Center or Winger?

[qwksndmonster]

I think Samson is such a natural center that it hurts my soul to consider him as a winger long term. He's a good winger, but he could be special at center. I don't think he has the speed, size, or shot to be a great winger. But if he's the one at center ice distributing the puck, he could be elite.

 

I'd move ROR to wing. He proved to be just as effective there when he played with MacKinnon. We wouldn't be getting any less out of him from the wing, he could even take center responsibilities in the defensive zone if necessary.

 

My argument is basically dudacek copypasta, so hear it from the man himself:

 

Did anybody notice how good Sam looked prior to being the first centre chosen n the 2014 draft?

Or how good he looked as the first-line centre of the 2015 WJC gold medal team.

 

The kid is so good he can be a good winger despite not having the perfect skill set.

But he was born to play centre.

[LGR4GM]

Sam's size isn't a thing and his shot is leaps and bounds above what it was. He really needs to work on his faceoffs and his timing. By timing I mean that Sam isn't at full processing speed yet. He is getting close to it but I think he has another level yet. Once Reinhart is at full game speed he should be able to anticipate and execute plays no one else is considering. I like him better as a center because it means he gets to decide how to control the puck more and I think he is the smartest player on the team. My want for him to play center though takes a back seat to him being effective at wing. There is no need to rush him into that position. I am comfortable having him play wing primarily with occasional center duty for another year. 

[qwksndmonster]

Another good post (meaning that it agrees with my stance):

 

Exactly… to me O'Reillys future on this team is on Jack's wing. To me that is 2/3's of an unstoppable line. Second line is Samson at center and Kane at LW. Both lines need rw's though. Bailey and Hudson have a shot, just not this year.

Edited June 20, 2016 by qwksndmonster

[Doohicksie]

I see Jack and Samson as Zetterberg and Datsyuk. Both are centers. There have been long stretches when they played on the same line. It gives DD amazeballs of flexibility. It doesn't matter. Both will be amazing.

[Weave]

Playing a Patrick Sharp role in Chicago ain't a bad thing, wing because there is plenty of C talent, but more than capable of sliding over when needed or to change up the look of a line.  That kind of flexibility may create some match up challenges for teams.

[dudacek]

Playing a Patrick Sharp role in Chicago ain't a bad thing, wing because there is plenty of C talent, but more than capable of sliding over when needed or to change up the look of a line.  That kind of flexibility may create some match up challenges for teams.

I like this post a lot because it makes a lot of sense, but also lets me say that Samson's ceiling is much higher than Patrick Sharp's.

It might take six years before everyone fully gets it, but the guy is an elite Zetterberg/Larionov type asset.

Like LGR says, wait until the game fully slows down for him.

[BagBoy]

Sam's size isn't a thing and his shot is leaps and bounds above what it was. He really needs to work on his faceoffs and his timing. By timing I mean that Sam isn't at full processing speed yet. He is getting close to it but I think he has another level yet. Once Reinhart is at full game speed he should be able to anticipate and execute plays no one else is considering. I like him better as a center because it means he gets to decide how to control the puck more and I think he is the smartest player on the team. My want for him to play center though takes a back seat to him being effective at wing. There is no need to rush him into that position. I am comfortable having him play wing primarily with occasional center duty for another year. 

 

This is where I'm at.  Well stated Liger.  Qwk and Dudacek, I feel you, too.  I'm just not ready to take ROR out of the face-off circle yet.  We were a very schitty team for way too long over the last few years at face-offs - like pathetically worst for most of that time frame.  ROR is just too good at the dot to take him out, and Sam is not even close to 50% there yet.  If Bylsma wants to play ROR at wing, but let him take draws, I'd be okay with that to an extent, but there are drawbacks with doing it that way.  Also, ROR is so good defensively, and all things being equal, you would rather have that type of player in front of the net in the defensive zone than on wing.

 

One thing about Sam that I don't think has gotten enough press is how surprisingly good and clever he was right in front of the net in the O zone this year (especially last half of the season).  He had some sick tip-ins and passes down low.  It never occurred to me that he would finish this year with more goals than assists.  He did that as a winger.  I don't think he could have done that or gotten more overall points at center this year.  He eventually belongs at center, but on this team not quite yet.

[K-9]

Sam's size isn't a thing and his shot is leaps and bounds above what it was. He really needs to work on his faceoffs and his timing. By timing I mean that Sam isn't at full processing speed yet. He is getting close to it but I think he has another level yet. Once Reinhart is at full game speed he should be able to anticipate and execute plays no one else is considering. I like him better as a center because it means he gets to decide how to control the puck more and I think he is the smartest player on the team. My want for him to play center though takes a back seat to him being effective at wing. There is no need to rush him into that position. I am comfortable having him play wing primarily with occasional center duty for another year. 

He made a few plays last year that fully suggested he was processing the game at full speed. Hell, even during his failed nine game stint before getting shipped back to the minors, he was putting the puck in places that, if he had ANYONE with half a brain to see the game like he does was skating with him, would have been perfect passes. I know he has to mature, but I think his brain is there already and it's only going to get better. 

 

GO SABRES!!!

[Eleven]

He's a center, FFS.

[TrueBlueGED]

I've long envisioned Eichel-Reinhart as our 1-2 punch down the middle on our eventual Cup team. I absolutely would have liked to see Reinhart get extended time in the middle after the deadline. I think O'Reilly would be just as good and valuable on Eichel's wing as he is centering the line getting the toughest matchups. I'm also semi-infatuated by a more balanced three line approach than was used this season.

 

But, I too am in no hurry to move O'Reilly out of the middle. Reinhart exceeded my expectations as a rookie while needing to earn his way up the lineup and being used in ways and at a position he's never played at a highly competitive level. Though I always thought his skill set was perfect for a center, I think we need to adjust our evaluations for what this season showed us--he can be just as good on the wing, I think. 

 

I love the Zetterberg comparison. He has played center and wing, and that versatility is incredibly useful. I see no reason to shoehorn Reinhart into some kind of "must play center" category.

[WildCard]

Reinhart on the wings in 2-3 more years for me

[TrueBlueGED]

Reinhart on the wings in 2-3 more years for me

 

How much have you had to drink? This sentence is broken :lol:

[beerme1]

If O, O , O, O'Reilly is too good to be moved from C then Samson is a winger. In my opinion ROR is not likely moving from the dot.

[WildCard]

How much have you had to drink? This sentence is broken :lol:

First day at a new job, I had to celebrate  :D

[JohnRobertEichel]

Is it possible long-term to have three "top-6" lines with Eichel as center #1, Reinhart as center #2, and O'Reilly as center #3? If the salary cap would permit such a thing, then that would of course be ideal.

[North Buffalo]

Winger/ Center for Jack interesting because they both have complementary skill sets, often jack looks like the wing on that line especially on D.