Could Sam Reinhart Be The Kraken's Big-Time Offseason Move?

With each passing day, more reports emerge about the Seattle Kraken's interest in a top-line forward.

The newest report by Ryan S. Clark ponders if the Kraken could be the team to give Sam Reinhart his big payday.

Reinhart is in the midst of the best season of his career after setting new highs in goals and points. Reinhart finished the season with 57 goals which was the second most in the NHL and 94 points, the 12th most in the league.

The 28-year-old was drafted second overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2014 draft and played seven seasons with the Sabres before the Panthers acquired him for Devon Levi and a 2022 first-round pick.

In his three years with the Panthers, Reinhart has finished with more than 30 goals each year and has tallied 82, 67 and 94 points.

The Panthers are one game away from winning the Stanley Cup after losing in the finals to the Vegas Golden Knights just a year ago. During their playoff run this year, the West Vancouver native has scored nine goals and 15 points.

There has been mutual interest between Reinhart's camp and the Panthers in working on an extension but the Kraken will have the advantage of offering him a higher salary. The Kraken will have around $23M to work with this offseason.

Reinhart, if signed, would quickly change the Kraken's offence. His defensive capabilities are one of the reasons why he scores so many goals. On the forecheck, he knocks pucks off his opponent's stick at a high rate and immediately looks to turn it into offence.

He's also an efficient scorer. He doesn't need many chances to find the back of the net with a career shooting percentage of 15.6%. In the 2023-24 season, he finished with a shooting percentage of 24.5%.

27 of his 57 goals also came on the powerplay. He works the bumper and the net front very well and is consistently available as a shot threat in the middle of the ice.

Skating alongside Matty Beniers or Shane Wright next year would be great for the two young centre's development. A player of Reinhart's quality would take pressure of them and give them more confidence.

Projections show that Reinhart could earn under $10M annually from the Panthers but if the Kraken are serious about acquiring Reinhart, they could offer him north of $10M.