Reinhart, The Force Awakens

[nfreeman]

3 hours ago, jad1 said:

Reinhart belongs on the first line.  Eichel is a better scorer with Reinhart on his line.  Without Sam, Jack becomes a playmaker, which is good, but Eichel opportunities to be a finisher are way down without Reinhart. 

The first line doesn't need a more physical player unless they are expected to beat people up.  Other than that, they are great at puck possession, digging the puck in the corners and (with Reinhart) establishing a net-front presence.

Of course that means that the Sabres need to  build a second line, and hopefully Mittelstadt continues to improve to help with that.

I kinda like letting Reino have his own line.  He's had some invisible games lately but also a number of games in which his line is at least as effective as Eichel's line.  When they're both on it gives the Sabres 2 dangerous lines, whereas when Reino was on Eichel's line, most nights there was only 1 dangerous line.

I agree with the artist formerly known as sizzle that Sheary's slot on that line needs an upgrade.

Separately:  all 3 of Reino's goals today evinced real high-end skill.  Great stuff.

[thewookie1]

Reinhart can't play center due to his lack of footspeed but from the wing he creates much like that of a centerman. Give him some speed and competence at center and LW and he can run your 2nd/3rd line. As a winger, Reinhart can do things centers can't usually do such as screening the goalie on a consistent basis.  

[erickompositör72]

Just pointing out how strong on the puck and on his feet he has become since his first two season. He used to get knocked over every shift. I hardly ever see him getting knocked over anymore.

[Doohicksie]

1 hour ago, erickompositör72 said:

Just pointing out how strong on the puck and on his feet he has become since his first two season. He used to get knocked over every shift. I hardly ever see him getting knocked over anymore.

Which gives me hopes for Mitts and Dahlin.

[dudacek]

Looking at our PP stats, where I stumbled up this:

Sam Reinhart is only 6 points behind Jack in even-strength scoring this year - 55 to 49. Sam is tied with Kuznetsov and Backstrom for 45th in even-strength scoring in the entire league this year.

Wasnt he getting flack for being a  2nd-line PP specialist earlier this year?

Edited April 5, 2019 by dudacek

[WildCard]

1 minute ago, dudacek said:

This inspired me to take a look at our PP stats, where I stumbled up this:

Sam Reinhart is only 6 points behind Jack in even-strength scoring this year - 55 to 49. Sam is tied with Kuznetsov and Backstrom for 45th in even-strength scoring in the entire league this year.

Wasnt he getting flack for being a  2nd-line PP specialist earlier this year?

Those are some absurd stats to be honest

[Zamboni]

3 hours ago, dudacek said:

Looking at our PP stats, where I stumbled up this:

Sam Reinhart is only 6 points behind Jack in even-strength scoring this year - 55 to 49. Sam is tied with Kuznetsov and Backstrom for 45th in even-strength scoring in the entire league this year.

Wasnt he getting flack for being a  2nd-line PP specialist earlier this year?

I liked Reinhart the moment we drafted him and still do. He’s not flashy, fast paced or loud. He’s a quiet player who does his talking on the ice. 

He is an example of slowly developing into a very good player. He needed time, and he had it. Now it’s paying dividends. If he keeps this up next season, I am afraid he’ll be getting a huge contract. Somewhere in the 6-7 range. But I would gladly pay that for what he brings and continues to develop.

[Curt]

3 hours ago, dudacek said:

Looking at our PP stats, where I stumbled up this:

Sam Reinhart is only 6 points behind Jack in even-strength scoring this year - 55 to 49. Sam is tied with Kuznetsov and Backstrom for 45th in even-strength scoring in the entire league this year.

Wasnt he getting flack for being a  2nd-line PP specialist earlier this year?

I would say that Reinhart is Buffalo’s most improved player this season.

[Doohicksie]

1 hour ago, Curtisp5286 said:

I would say that Reinhart is Buffalo’s most improved player this season.

I dare say we still haven't seen his ceiling.  And he has a quiet groundedness about him that tempers other mercurial players like Jack and Skinner.

[Curt]

15 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

I dare say we still haven't seen his ceiling.  And he has a quiet groundedness about him that tempers other mercurial players like Jack and Skinner.

I hope we haven’t.  He is such a smart player that I think he can keep finding ways to get better.

Yeah, he seems like a pretty calm guy.  Doesn’t get too high or too low.  Dahlin seems to be like this also.  You might be right about it being a good balance to Jack.

[...]

I have to tell you, that it wasn't until I saw that Sam could not only get violent, but has a legitimate "Beast Mode" in the offensive zone that I thought we'd be better off trading him.  With those characteristics now showing in his game, which I think started showing in February or so, I think he is an ideal second line winger for the Sabres.  He just needs a better center.

[Curt]

3 minutes ago, ... said:

I have to tell you, that it wasn't until I saw that Sam could not only get violent, but has a legitimate "Beast Mode" in the offensive zone that I thought we'd be better off trading him.  With those characteristics now showing in his game, which I think started showing in February or so, I think he is an ideal second line winger for the Sabres.  He just needs a better center.

I think he has really shown improvement in a lot of areas this season.  Skating, shooting, physical play.

I think the new physicality you are seeing could have a lot to do with improved skating.  When players are stronger and more balanced on their skates, it’s a lot easier to deliver checks and push guys around a bit.  Better skaters always just look stronger out there.

[LGR4GM]

1 hour ago, ... said:

I have to tell you, that it wasn't until I saw that Sam could not only get violent, but has a legitimate "Beast Mode" in the offensive zone that I thought we'd be better off trading him.  With those characteristics now showing in his game, which I think started showing in February or so, I think he is an ideal second line winger for the Sabres.  He just needs a better center.

Casey mittelstadt will be fine

 

After next season. 

[nfreeman]

Reino definitely took a step up this year, and I am looking forward to seeing him next year, preferably as the leader of a 2nd line with upgraded 2nd-line linemates.

But it has to be said:  when the season was lost, in January and February, he was just meh.  And when the team ran for the bus in March, he brought the Doritos and the boy band mp3s. 

It wasn't as bad as when he showed up for the previous season 40 games late, but it was still nowhere near young-star-level performance, or Draisaitl-level performance, and definitely far from fat-contract-worthy performance.

YMMV, of course.

[dudacek]

10 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

Reino definitely took a step up this year, and I am looking forward to seeing him next year, preferably as the leader of a 2nd line with upgraded 2nd-line linemates.

But it has to be said:  when the season was lost, in January and February, he was just meh.  And when the team ran for the bus in March, he brought the Doritos and the boy band mp3s. 

It wasn't as bad as when he showed up for the previous season 40 games late, but it was still nowhere near young-star-level performance, or Draisaitl-level performance, and definitely far from fat-contract-worthy performance.

YMMV, of course.

What’s the highest contract (extension) you would give Reinhart this summer?

How about Skinner?

[Brawndo]

 

[nfreeman]

12 minutes ago, dudacek said:

What’s the highest contract (extension) you would give Reinhart this summer?

How about Skinner?

Interesting questions, especially when you put it that way.

Not sure about Reino.  He's shown enough so that I'd be happy to secure his rights for a long period, but not enough to support a major cap space commitment. 

I'd give Skinner $8MM x 8 years, and I'd probably go to $8.5MM to avoid losing him.

[dudacek]

40 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

Reino definitely took a step up this year, and I am looking forward to seeing him next year, preferably as the leader of a 2nd line with upgraded 2nd-line linemates.

But it has to be said:  when the season was lost, in January and February, he was just meh.  And when the team ran for the bus in March, he brought the Doritos and the boy band mp3s. 

It wasn't as bad as when he showed up for the previous season 40 games late, but it was still nowhere near young-star-level performance, or Draisaitl-level performance, and definitely far from fat-contract-worthy performance.

YMMV, of course.

For accuracy sake, he got 10 goals and 19 points in 24 games in January and February, more than a 60-point pace and one off Jack’s team lead.

Your March take is dead on.

Every criticism you make of Reinhart applies to Skinner, except more.

Reinhart has less of a chance of being dead weight at the end of a long-term deal.

Edited April 6, 2019 by dudacek

[SwampD]

2 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

Interesting questions, especially when you put it that way.

Not sure about Reino.  He's shown enough so that I'd be happy to secure his rights for a long period, but not enough to support a major cap space commitment. 

I'd give Skinner $8MM x 8 years, and I'd probably go to $8.5MM to avoid losing him.

No way do I give Skinner that. Id rather give that to Reinhart.

[dudacek]

1 hour ago, Brawndo said:

 

For those like me that struggle to read charts, Sam is basically Taylor Hall and Hall is really good?

And if we had a PP Sam would be amazing?

Edited April 6, 2019 by dudacek

[nfreeman]

54 minutes ago, dudacek said:

For accuracy sake, he got 10 goals and 19 points in 24 games in January and February, more than a 60-point pace and one off Jack’s team lead.

Your March take is dead on.

Every criticism you make of Reinhart applies to Skinner, except more.

Reinhart has less of a chance of being dead weight at the end of a long-term deal.

I looked at his game log — out of the 10 goals in Jan and Feb, 1 came in the first game of the year, which is fine but was probably before the bottom really started to fall out, and I think 4 came at the end of Feb when it was too late.  

There was a stretch from early Jan to late Feb of about 19 games during which they went 6-13 and fell from about 3-4 games over DeLuca .500 to about 3-4 games under.  That was when the season was lost, and it was during that stretch he was meh (before, as previously noted, closing up shop for the season in March).

Certainly Skinner fell off the table too, which is disappointing, although it was immediately after that gruesome-looking ankle twist.  He may have been hampered, and was also probably hampered by Eichel’s up-and-down pay during that stretch as well.  

Even so, Skinner had a better season than Reino, and is currently a better player than Reino, and by more than a little.  Reino may get there though, and you are right about the relative contract risks.  

My bottom line is that I’d like to keep both of them, and I don’t mind making Reino earn it for another year since he’s still restricted a year from now.  

[dudacek]

I think Reinhart had a better season and is a better player than Skinner. The one thing Skinner is really good at, however, is the most important thing. So, as you say, your mileage may vary.

I’m willing to overpay to keep Skinner and I’d very much like to see Reinhart extended with a Nylander/Ehlers type deal. He’s going to be around and effective for a long time.

[Curt]

4 hours ago, nfreeman said:

I looked at his game log — out of the 10 goals in Jan and Feb, 1 came in the first game of the year, which is fine but was probably before the bottom really started to fall out, and I think 4 came at the end of Feb when it was too late.  

 There was a stretch from early Jan to late Feb of about 19 games during which they went 6-13 and fell from about 3-4 games over DeLuca .500 to about 3-4 games under.  That was when the season was lost, and it was during that stretch he was meh (before, as previously noted, closing up shop for the season in March).

He had 5 goals and 12 points in those 19 games.  The game before those 19, he had 2 points, the game after, a hat trick.  That section of the season really doesn’t look like much of a slump for him, from a purely statistical standpoint.

[Derrico]

Sam has been good to very good for a full season and a half now.  Jbot can extend Reinhart contract beginning July 1.  Does he try and get something done before next season hoping he can get a little cheaper now or wait for more proof after next season?  Ofcourse if Sam puts up huge numbers next year it will cost even more going forward.  I wonder if Sam's camp even wants to talk this summer or wait until the conclusion of next season. 

[LGR4GM]

I'd try to extend him this summer. Each year he seems to improve a little. An 8yr deal would take him to 32. If I can get him on a 6yr deal I'm inclined to do that. He's probably right around 7 mil but that's a guesstimate