When Sam Reinhart joined the Florida Panthers in 2024, some wondered if he’d just be another solid addition. Instead, he’s turned into the guy, as in, the one who scored the Game 7 winner in 2024 to clinch the franchise’s first Stanley Cup. Then, he followed it up by netting four goals in a single game in Game 6 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final. Safe to say, he didn’t just fit in; he lit the place on fire, in the best possible way. Sure, the Panthers’ rise was built on depth, grit, and elite goaltending. But Reinhart turned into the secret sauce that tied it all together.

Florida didn’t let him slip away. In July 2024, the Panthers rewarded Reinhart with an eight-year, $69 million extension, ensuring their championship glue would stick around for the long run. And just a year after signing that deal, Reinhart shared his honest feelings in a video the team posted on YouTube. Asked how it felt to join Florida. As they put it, “How excited are you to join this team, kind of on its upswing, uh, here in South Florida?” And with a smile, Sam answered.

Sam Reinhart’s answer? “It’s, uh, very exciting, to say the least. You know, I have actually been fortunate enough to play with a number of guys already on the roster and have been in contact with a bunch of coaches and players. So you know I am absolutely thrilled and motivated to come to a group that is hungry, trying to make it to the next step and  in my mind, has the most motivated players coming into an organization that is striving to make that next step and win some meaningful games.”

That hunger and drive have characterized the career of Reinhart. Selected second overall in the 2014 draft by the Buffalo Sabres, he became known as a solid, consistent player with skill before being sent to the Florida Panthers in a trade that included goaltender Devon Levi and a 2022 first-round pick. However, it was when he donned a Panthers sweater that his career saw a climb of perfection, which rendered him into a consummate championship cornerstone. Of course, it hasn’t all been smooth.

Sam Reinhart’s toughest moments in Florida

On January 18, 2025, Sam Reinhart was thrown out of a match against the Anaheim Ducks after he conducted a knee-on-knee attack on Isac Lundestrom. He was assessed a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct. Despite his ejection, the Panthers secured a 3–0 win, with goaltender Spencer Knight delivering a standout performance, and the team successfully killed the major penalty without conceding. The bigger scare came during the 2024-25 Eastern Conference Final against Carolina.

In Game 2, Reinhart went down with a lower-body injury after a heavy hit from Sebastian Aho, forcing him to leave the game and miss both Game 3 and Game 4. Coach Paul Maurice called him a cornerstone of the penalty kill, and fans were torn between empathy and frustration as the team pushed on without him. Even NHL legend Wayne Gretzky at that time said, “But Reinhart is one of the best players in the National Hockey League…going to be hard to replace a guy like that.” The timing couldn’t have been worse, given how central he had been in Florida’s push toward another Stanley Cup Final. Even when healthy, Reinhart hasn’t always been lights out.

He’s had stretches where the goals dried up, including a run earlier this year with just one goal in 17 games. Analysts pointed to his expected goals dipping, as before this, he had 31 goals in the first 54 games. As they put it, “Sam Reinhart has been STRUGGLING as of late, with one goal in his last 17 games played (including the 4 Nations Face-Off).” Yet through injuries, slumps, and discipline questions, Sam Reinhart has still found ways to deliver on the biggest stages.