When Florida and Buffalo agreed to the Sam Reinhart deal on July 24, 2021, it ended up shaping the direction of both franchises in very different ways. The Panthers sent a first-round pick and goalie prospect Devon Levi to the Sabres for Reinhart, and the move became one of the defining transactions of Florida’s run into the league’s elite.
Reinhart has been a major reason for that. In parts of six seasons with the Panthers, he has played 396 games and piled up 194 goals and 199 assists for 393 points.
He’s added 152 power-play points and 1,060 shots on goal, and his 57-goal season stands as his career best and ranks third in franchise history. Florida has leaned on him as a finisher, especially on a power play filled with talent.
His value has gone well beyond offense. Reinhart is a plus-30 with the Panthers and has collected 93 penalty minutes, while averaging 19:54 of ice time per game in the regular season. Alongside Aleksander Barkov, he has been a steady two-way presence on the top line, helping drive play at one end and clamp down on elite opponents at the other.
That impact carried straight into the playoffs. Reinhart has appeared in 76 postseason games for Florida and produced 32 goals and 24 assists for 56 points.
He was part of two Stanley Cup wins and another Stanley Cup Final appearance, all while becoming a central figure in the most successful stretch in Panthers history. Even after Florida’s relatively unsuccessful 2025-26 season, he’s still positioned as a key piece of what comes next.
The individual recognition followed too, even if the trophy case never fully filled up. Reinhart has received Lady Byng votes in every season with the Panthers.
In 2023-24, he made the All-Star Game, finished third in All-Star voting among right wingers, placed fourth in Selke Trophy voting behind Barkov, and ranked 12th in Hart Trophy voting. In 2024-25, he finished fourth among right wingers in All-Star voting and second in Selke voting, again behind Barkov.
During the 2025-26 season, he still drew some attention despite Florida’s drop-off, finishing 11th in Lady Byng voting and 16th in Selke voting.
Before Florida, Reinhart spent parts of seven seasons with Buffalo, where he played 454 games and posted 134 goals and 161 assists for 295 points. He also recorded 91 power-play points for the Sabres, operating as a key top-six forward and a regular on the man advantage.
His plus-minus with Buffalo finished at minus-97, and he added 90 penalty minutes. In 2015-16, he finished ninth in Calder Trophy voting and 16th in Lady Byng voting.
The first-round pick Florida sent to Buffalo turned into Jiri Kulich, selected 28th overall in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. Kulich has played four seasons and counting with the Sabres, appearing in 83 games and recording 19 goals and 13 assists for 32 points.
He’s currently minus-8 with 22 penalty minutes. Buffalo also had Devon Levi, who was taken 212th overall by Florida in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft.
Levi developed at Northeastern University, never played a game in the Panthers organization, then spent parts of three seasons in Buffalo between the NHL and AHL. He appeared in 39 NHL games, started 36, and went 17-17-2 with a .894 save percentage and 3.29 goals-against average.
He was dealt to the Edmonton Oilers this past offseason for a seventh-round pick and a third-round pick.
The trade has given Florida a centerpiece of its championship core, while Buffalo ended up with two young players, one still with the Sabres and one now with Edmonton.
In Other News...
Panthers Suddenly Have A Goalie Story Fans Need To Watch
Cooper Black finally got his first taste of the NHL spotlight, and it came in a spot Florida fans have been waiting to see filled more consistently. The Panthers goalie, signed as a free agent two years ago, made his debut against Pittsburgh and drew immediate attention simply by stepping into the crease, with Matthew Tkachuk among those praising the way he handled the night despite the result.
The challenge for Black now is figuring out what comes next after an encouraging first look in a tough setting. Florida has a developing goalie storyline on its hands, and Black's debut offered enough poise to make it worth watching closely, even in a 4-0 loss that left the final scoreline doing the heavy lifting. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Shake Up Their Lineup As Slide Starts Raising Questions
After consecutive losses, Paul Maurice made a noticeable set of tweaks to Floridas lineup as the Panthers try to steady themselves before meeting the Chicago Blackhawks. Sandis Vilmanis moved up into a more prominent role, while the blue line got a familiar look again with Radko Gudas and Dmitry Kulikov back together, part of a broader shuffle meant to tighten things up after the recent slide.
Florida also turned back to Akira Schmid in goal for the upcoming game, a sign the coaching staff is looking for a different feel as it resets the group. The projected lines and pairings suggest Maurice is willing to lean on some combinations with more familiarity, but the bigger question now is whether the changes will be enough to stop the bleeding and give the Panthers a cleaner response on the ice. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Waste A Promising Debut In Another Frustrating Loss
The Panthers got a fresh look in goal and still came away empty-handed in Pittsburgh, falling 4-0 to the Penguins at PPG Paints Arena. Florida had been riding a three-game winning streak before back-to-back losses brought the momentum to a halt, and rookie Cooper Black at least gave the club a reason to keep watching with his NHL debut in net, turning aside 17 shots in a busy first appearance.
Even with chances available, the Panthers could not solve Arturs Silovs, who made 26 saves for the shutout as Pittsburgh controlled the finish. For Florida, the result fit the frustration of a night when the opportunities were there but the scoreboard never moved, leaving the club to sort through another flat offensive showing as the road trip moved on. [Read more 🡒]