Insider Report: Sabres’ Reinhart on the trading block?

According to a report from Sportsnet analyst and NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, Buffalo Sabres youngster Sam Reinhart could be on the move. During an appearance on the NHL Network where he discussed potential early season movers Friedman admitted, “Over the weekend, I started to hear the name Sam Reinhart.” 

Interesting. The 21-year-old former 2nd overall draft pick certainly hasn’t lit the NHL on fire the way that other 2nd overall picks like teammate Jack Eichel, Winnipeg Jets’ sniper Patrik Laine or Florida Panthers power forward Aleksander Barkov have, but he’s a prized player nonetheless. 

Friedman continued, “Now, could I see a situation where Reinhart becomes available later in the year? Maybe. But I think that the Sabres are kind of looking at it right now as, ‘This is too soon. We still have some work to do to really discover what we’ve got here.’

Again, Friedman admits, Reinhart is one to keep an eye on:

“But I wouldn’t be surprised if his name starts popping up maybe later in the year if things don’t solidify.”

So, who might be in the market? How about a rebuilding team like the Detroit Red Wings? His hometown Vancouver Canucks could certainly use a jolt of young offense. Or, how about a contending team like the Pittsburgh Penguins or New York Rangers? You can never have enough depth down the middle, and with star players in front of Reinhart, he’d get the opportunity to develop at a slower pace.

Again, keep your eye on this one, Sabres fans.