Updated:
Buffalo Sabres winger Samson Reinhart and the Buffalo Sabres have agreed on a $5.2 million average annual value. Elliotte Friedman confimed it Sunday morning.
I had Reinhart slotted at between $5.5M and $6M AAV.
This signing is a no brainer. Kevyn Adams and Ralph Krueger cannot achieve their goals of making the playoffs in 2021 without the points production of Samson Reinhart. The Sabres are a better team with Reinhart than without hom.
After he signed his qualifying offer, Reinhart elected for arbitration. His case was scheduled to be heard by the arbitrator on Tuesday.
I spoke with a very reliable source very early on Sunday morning who told me that my speculation about Reinhart landing at between $5.5M AAV and $6M AAV was not off base.
Hours later, the Sabres announced that signing of Reinhart to a one-year contract worth $5.2 million annual average value.
Reinhart, who turns 25 in two weeks, appeared in all of the team's games for the third consecutive season in 2019-20, recording a career-best .32 goals per game.
Reinhart scored 22 goals and 50 points in 69 games. Reinhart has scored 20-goals in four of his five NHL seasons.
The Vancouver native was the second overall pick in the 2014 NHL Draft has ranked among Buffalo's top three point-scorers every season since 2015-16, joining Rick Martin, Dave Andreychuk and Jack Eichel as one of four Sabres ever to do so in each of his first five full NHL seasons.
Reinhart ranks second among all Sabres in total goals and points since he made his NHL debut in October 2014.
The Sabres still have to sign restricted free agents Victor Olofsson and Linus Ullmark. Olofsson has his arb hearing set for November 4 and Ullmark's hearing is set for Monday October 27.
Correction: kahun is not a restricted free agent as the Sabres did not quaify him. Kahun is UFA.
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NHL arbitration hearings have been in progress since Tuesday October 20. The final arbitration hearings are scheduled to conclude on November 8.
How have things gone thus far for the individual restricted free agents and their respective teams?
Let's take a look.
To date, not one player has had his case heard by the arbitrator. Which means nine of the twenty three players to have filed for player-elected arbitration have come to an agreement with their respective NHL clubs before the scheduled hearing date
As of Sunday October 25, fourteen players still await their arbitration hearings.
Here's a summary of the progress to date:
10/20/2020
Andrew Mangiapane and the Calgary Flames avoided a hearing and came to a agreement on a two year, $2.43 million average annual value.
Anthony DeAngelo and the NY Rangers avoided a hearing and came to a agreement on a two year, $4.8 million average annual value
Matt Grzelcyk and the Boston Bruins avoided a hearing and came to a agreement on a 4 year, $3.69 million average annual value.
10/21/2020
Ilya Mikheyev and the Toronto Maple Leafs avoided a hearing and came to a agreement on a two year, $1.65 million average annual value.
10/22/2020
Connor Brown and the Ottawa Senators avoided a hearing and came to a agreement on three year, $3.6 million average annual value.
10/25/2020
Tyler Bertuzzi filed a $4.25 million average annual value while the Detroit Red Wings offered $3.15 million average annual vaue. Status: Pending.
10/26/2020
Linus Ullmark will be filing for $4.1 million average annual value while the Buffalo Sabres will be offering $1.8 million average annual value. Ullmark and the Sabres are $2.3 million apart before arbitration hearing. The gap between Ullmark and the Sabres is nearly the $2.43M AAV that Alex Georgiev and the NY Rangers have agreed to. Were I Ullmark, I would accept the Georgiev award and get ready for the 2021 season to begin. Status: TBD
10/27/2020
Samson Reinhart. Its is not yet known what amount Reinhart's agent will be filing for nor the amount the Buffalo Sabres will be offering. Were I a betting man, I would wager that Reinhart's agents at Newport Sports will be asking the arbitrator for an award of between $5.5 million and $6 million annual average value. Reinhart, the second overall pick at the 2014 NHL Draft, is a four time 20-goal scorer, who in my opinion, has his best goal scoring and points production seasons ahead of him. Status: TBD
10/28/2020
Jake Virtanen and the Vancouver Canucks avoided a hearing by agreeing on a new two year, $2.55 million average annual value.
10/30/2020
Josh Ho-Sang. Its is not yet known what amount Ho-Sang's agent will be filing for nor the amount the NY Islanders will be offering. Status: TBD
10/31/2020
Devon Toews. Its is not yet known what amount Toews' agent will be filing for nor the amount the Colorado Avalanche will be offering. Status: TBD
Alex Georgiev and the NY Rangers avoided have avoided a hearing by agreeing on a two year, years, $2.43 million average annual value.
11/1/2020
Nick Paul and the Ottawa Senators avoided the arbitration hearing and have agreed to a two year, $1.35 million average annual value.
11/2/2020
Gustav Forsling and the Carolina Hurricanes have agreed on a one year, $700,000 average annual value.
11/4/2020
Victor Olofsson. It is not yet known what amount Olofsson's agent will be filing for nor the amount the Buffalo Sabres will be offering. Status: TBD
Warren Foegele. It is not yet known what amount Foegele's agent will be filing for nor the amount the Carolina Hurricanes will be offering. Status: TBD
11/5/2020
Ryan Strome. It is not yet known what amount Strome's agent will be filing for nor the amount the NY Rangers will be offering. Status: TBD
11/6/2020
Brendan Lemieux. . It is not yet known what amount Lemieux's agent will be filing for nor the amount the NY Rangers will be offering. Status: TBD
Ryan Pulock. It is not yet known what amount Pulock's agent will be filing for nor the amount the NY Islanders will be offering. Status: TBD
11/7/2020
Christian Jaros. It is not yet known what amount Jaros' agent will be filing for nor the amount the Ottawa Senators will be offering. Status: TBD
11/8/2020
Chris Tierney. It is not yet known what amount Tierney's agent will be filing for nor the amount the Ottawa Senators will be offering. Status: TBD
MacKenzie Weegar. It is not yet known what amount Weegar's agent will be filing for nor the amount the Florida Panthers will be offering. Status: TBD
Haydn Fleury. It is not yet known what amount Fleury's agent will be filing for nor the amount the Carolina Hurricanes will be offering. Status: TBD
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