Reinhart, The Force Awakens

[LGR4GM]

So I was wrong and he will never be a NHL center. That said, what the hell happened with this guy after December? He flipped a switch and was fine. Reinhart is fine. He's never going to be fast, but he is quick. I think he looks faster than ROR for example. What do we do with him? Do we keep him or trade him? Is he the best RW we have and how do we value that? 

Edited May 9, 2018 by LGR4GM

[Doohicksie]

This isn't new though; he seems to start slow and pick it up later in the season.  It's frustrating until Christmas... then he plays at the level he's capable of.  If he continues to do that, that could be okay, as long as the rest of the team pulls his slack in the first half of the season.  If he peaks late in the year that could be good for the playoffs when we eventually get there.

 

Maybe if Housley's system doesn't change too much from last year Sam can step it up earlier in the season.

 

I want him to excel; I have a Reino jersey.

[LGR4GM]

Do we keep him or not?

[That Aud Smell]

The received wisdom seems to be that O'Reilly is going to be moved.

 

If that's the case, then I think Reinhart stays -- I don't see the team moving 2 ostensibly top-6 forwards.

 

Also, the farther (further?) I get from the ROR emo-act at season's end, the more nervous I am about the idea of him not being on the team next season. 

[Doohicksie]

The received wisdom seems to be that O'Reilly is going to be moved.

 

I'll believe it when I see it.

[LGR4GM]

I created a thread for the ROR talk. Back to Reinhart was there anything people liked that he started doing?

[Doohicksie]

Scoring.

[Huckleberry]

I created a thread for the ROR talk. Back to Reinhart was there anything people liked that he started doing?

 

The entire team sucked first half of the season, and I haven't given up on him as center.

Read somewhere when they had him on his own line, his line had the best offensive possession stats, but he was playing with guys that couldn't finish.

Edited May 9, 2018 by Huckleberry

[dudacek]

Reinhart’s inconsistency is a bit of a myth, at least statistically.

 

As a rookie he showed steady improvement throughout the year.

Year two he put up remarkably consistent numbers from month to month.

 

He didn’t start slow and get better last year.

He was bad to start and got worse; 10 points in his first 23 games, 1 in his next 16.

He then got 37 in his last 38. I’ve never seen anything like it.

 

I’m not sure why last year showed two extremes, but overall, I look at his career as a whole as a talented young player maturing and finding his place in the league. It’s not an unusual progression, we’re just not that used to seeing in in Buffalo over the past decade and many of us failed to recognize it for what it was.

 

What he was in the second half is what I expected the player we drafted to become.

I think he breaks the 60 point barrier this year and settles in with that as his usual baseline going forward.

 

I maintain the team is bad and I would trade anyone for the right return.

But with Rasmus poised to add that missing piece to the core, I no longer see a reason to trade Sam and will be very disappointed if we did.

[darksabre]

We can't afford to not keep him. We need someone with his smarts and hand-eye. He improved his game around the net. 

[LGR4GM]

Reinhart: EVG= even strength goals, PPG= powerplay goals, EVA= even strength assists, PPA= powerplay assists

2015: 15 Evg, 8 Ppg / 17 Eva, 2 Ppa

 

2016: 8 Evg, 9 Ppg / 22 Eva, 8 Ppa

 

2017: 13 Evg, 12 Ppg / 16 Eva, 9 Ppa

[Assquatch]

Hammiltoe implied on WGR this morning that Reinhart's results improved this season when he played more "his game" and less "Sabres system".

[jsb]

Hammiltoe implied on WGR this morning that Reinhart's results improved this season when he played more "his game" and less "Sabres system".

Actually Reinhart said so himself at the end of the year interviews.

He seems to play better with ROR IMO

He's still young and I wouldn't trade him unless they receive an offer they can't refuse and I'm afraid Doohickie will become unbearable if they do trade his boy

[Doohicksie]

Hammiltoe implied on WGR this morning that Reinhart's results improved this season when he played more "his game" and less "Sabres system".

 

Part of being a new coach, I think, is to learn how to design the team system to best use the talent on the bench.  Hopefully this is a lesson for Housley, one he can apply to a certain No. 1 draft pick.

I'm afraid Doohickie will become unbearable if they do trade his boy

 

Eh.  I'll get a Dahlin jersey and move on.  I don't buy a lot of jerseys.  My last current player jersey prior to Reinhart was a Stafford sluggo.  If I got over that I'll get over Reino.  Part of being a longtime Buffalo sports fan is getting over things.

[North Buffalo]

I agree Sam seemed to click best with ROR. Both good passers and roughly at same speed, but smart hockey players. Only guys on team who seemed to be able to execute give and goes consistently.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

He has very good vision and can see the play developing a little quicker than the average player, IMO.

 

Was stronger in front of the net in the second half of last season.  He is a, or will soon be, a first line RW on this, or just about any, team in the NHL.

 

Another must keep.

[Swedesessed]

One question about Sam: Did his production spike up because Eichel was out and Sam's role expanded? Will Sam's role be reduced this year.

 

I still envision Sam as a 25-30 goal, 55-65 point player and clear Top 6 guy. I would keep Sam.

[dudacek]

One question about Sam: Did his production spike up because Eichel was out and Sam's role expanded?.

No.

He got 12 points in 15 games while Jack was out, 14 in the 15 games before, 11 in the 12 after.

 

Sam is the team’s best winger. His ice time and role is not really affected by who is and isn’t playing centre

Edited May 9, 2018 by dudacek

[sabresparaavida]

PEDs...????

[Derrico]

Now that we've recognized he's more effective as a top line winger than third line center I love the way his game has taken off.  He's a good winger on a team very very shallow on the wing.  Would need any trade to be core altering before I move him.  He should be part of this new core.

[Swedesessed]

No.

He got 12 points in 15 games while Jack was out, 14 in the 15 games before, 11 in the 12 after.

 

Sam is the team’s best winger. His ice time and role is not really affected by who is and isn’t playing centre

 

 

Good stuff, I didn't have numbers in front of me that but that is very encouraging!

[LGR4GM]

Sam's TOI has been roughly consistent over the last 3 years. Right around 17min. 

[GASabresIUFAN]

The whole point of the rebuild was to build a new core, why trade pieces of that new core as soon as they start to blossom?

 

Sam is our only true top 6 winger and we don’t have another to replace him. Like trading Risto or ROR I don’t see us getting full value back.

Edited May 9, 2018 by GASabresIUFAN

[Randall Flagg]

Pre-Dahlin, people may have had varying degrees of acceptance, but I think everyone would have understood a Sam-Hanifin type deal. We don't need that anymore. I don't see any purpose for trading Sam at this point - it's more valuable to us to keep what he is now and see if we can get him to be what he showed at the end of the year than it is to plug in his equal in current trade value. 

[Iron Crotch]

I'll go against the prevailing sentiment and say that I'd trade Reinhart in a second if the right deal is available. He's one of the few guys on the roster who could bring a good return in a trade, and in doing so would shake up the chemistry of this awful team. (Risto could bring a good return too, but defensemen are a lot harder to find than scoring wingers)

 

I look at Reinhart and just don't see the sort of winger that I see on the top teams (e.g., the 5 that are still alive for the Cup). He's a kid who has nice hands around the net for sure... but I don't see the grit and determination in him that I think it takes to win in the playoffs, when time and space are at a premium and the game becomes much more physical. I don't think he's all that great defensively (which is obviously why he isn't at Center). And, on some level, I think you either have that win at all costs "fire" or you don't. Does he have it?