NHL Tonight: David Pagnotta was asked about Sam Reinhart‘s future with the Florida Panthers, and comments on another pending UFA in Brandon Montour.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Jameson Coyle: “(Jake Guentzel) is gonna get paid, that’s for sure. So is this guy, Sam Reinhart. Expected free agent coming up this summer. Named an All-Star night for the Florida Panthers. He’s certainly been their All-Star to this point. Do you expect both sides to work out a contract extension sooner rather than later?”
Pagnotta: “Well, this is another scenario where things really haven’t gotten going here between the Pitts, excuse me, the Florida Panthers and Reinhart’s camp. As of now, nothing is really going on.
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Now, the Panthers eventually are going to reach out to try to get an understanding as to what the demands are, so to speak. What, what he’s looking for on what would eventually and inevitably be a long-term deal.
But right now, nothing going on. It’s fairly quiet on this front and it has been kind of all season. My understanding is at the beginning of the year. Bill Zito the GM of the Florida Panthers, let his camp know they’ll get to negotiation, they’ll get to some discussion and topics on what a new deal will look like eventually.
So far that hasn’t happened. But you’re looking at him, third of the league and scoring top-end goals, top 10 in scoring overall. He’s going to command a hefty raise over the six plus that he’s making now. You’re probably in that $9 million range.
It’s gonna be interesting to see how that progresses, but he’s not the only key guy in Florida that is going to need a new deal. Brandon Montour as well, pending free agent. There was some traction at the beginning of the season while he was rehabbing from injury. Another situation though now, where it sounds like it’s just quiet on that front. No progress to this point, and no rush either. And I think it sounds like no rush across the board, and that would relate to Reinhart as well.
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These are two guys in Montour and Reinhart that are eventually going to need new deals. This team is focused on their push, not only first in the Atlantic but a return to the Stanley Cup final, which they certainly hope would have a better outcome than last year. But two guys that Florida will eventually need to get to in both Montour and Reinhart. We’re just not there yet.”