Sam Reinhart is The Best Player on The Panthers

[teugen]

If healthy I'm taking the Avs top 6 over anyone else in the NHL, including FLA(though it is close).....the problem is that's just a huge "if" because they never seem to be healthy, or available for whatever reason, so you can't really rely on them come playoff time. If COL could somehow get a healthy MacK/Rant/Landy/Mittelstadt/Nuke/Lek for an entire playoff run they'd be one hell of a tough out(duh). Don't hold your breath waiting for that to happen though. FLA's group seems much more durable/reliable/available.

So you all really think Landy isnt fully dead at this point? And IF he ever comes back he'll be an impact player after sitting out TWO YEARS and counting? Is there been any word about him coming back?

 

[pb1300]

So you all really think Landy isnt fully dead at this point? And IF he ever comes back he'll be an impact player after sitting out TWO YEARS and counting? Is there been any word about him coming back?

Yes a soon to be 32 year old power forward with a severe knee injury is really going to put the Avs over the top.

Mackinnon is not that much better than Barkov to offset the rest of the top 6. Florida's top 6/9 is the best in the league, and Nuke and Landy coming back does not change that.

 

[BB88]

If healthy I'm taking the Avs top 6 over anyone else in the NHL, including FLA(though it is close).....the problem is that's just a huge "if" because they never seem to be healthy, or available for whatever reason, so you can't really rely on them come playoff time. If COL could somehow get a healthy MacK/Rant/Landy/Mittelstadt/Nuke/Lek for an entire playoff run they'd be one hell of a tough out(duh). Don't hold your breath waiting for that to happen though. FLA's group seems much more durable/reliable/available.

People love living in fantasy land

Floridas top6 is the best in the league

Barkov
Tkachuk
Reinhart
Verhaeghe
Bennett
Lundell

You can’t find a weakness from that group and they are all 29 or under

Mitt is the least proven player from the list and Landeskog hasnt played in 2.5 years. He’s never going to be prime Landy again, even without his injury he’d be right at the end of his prime

 

[Dread Clawz]

Just to return to the original question, I think the general consensus is that Reinhart isn't the best player on the team. That's not at all a knock on Reinhart - given his hilarious post-goal WTF reaction to some of Barkov's incredible assists, I think he'd be the first to agree...

There was a really interesting episode on the Hockey PDOcast on Reinhart's amazing season last year. From what I remember, along with just how intelligent he is, the hosts talked about how Reinhart is complimentary player in the most elite sense of the word: he's the type of star player that has all the elements of greatness but, unlike other star players, he requires the right type of chemistry to get there. And happily for both him and the Panthers, that chemistry just clicked with Barkov and the team last year.

That stuck in my mind because the hosts went on to talk about the tragedy of players who have that same potential for greatness but are not put in situations to realise it, and then start to believe that they are less than they are. Which made me think about just how random and cruel this sport can be. I know that's obvious, but the tragedy of wasted potential struck me more after listening to this episode.

Anyway, here's a link if people are interested:

That's all sports really. Sports, like life, isn't fair.

 

[SimpleJack]

People love living in fantasy land

Floridas top6 is the best in the league

Barkov
Tkachuk
Reinhart
Verhaeghe
Bennett
Lundell

You can’t find a weakness from that group and they are all 29 or under

Mitt is the least proven player from the list and Landeskog hasnt played in 2.5 years. He’s never going to be prime Landy again, even without his injury he’d be right at the end of his prime

People love living in fantasy land? How is "fantasy land" to say what i said? I said the Avs group is unreliable because rarely ever together, but if they were, I would take them over FLA...and even then it would be close. Its definitely OK to disagree, but its not some outlandish take. And isn't Lundell the 3C? Rodriguez the other W in the top 6?

Really...if you ask me....FLA's most potent potential lineup is when they're able to put Reinhart with L and L on the "3rd" line. Gotta find someone maybe at the TDL(like they did last year) to play with Barkov and Rodriguez. Then you've got basically 3 top lines.

 

[SimpleJack]

So you all really think Landy isnt fully dead at this point? And IF he ever comes back he'll be an impact player after sitting out TWO YEARS and counting? Is there been any word about him coming back?

Fully dead? No. But he'll most likely be a solid plug in middle 6 complement. Nowhere near what he once was. But that doesn't mean he isn't still a solid 6th best top 6 forward. Nichushkin is an even bigger question mark because who knows how long he'll last when he comes back, and he's so important to them that it really makes a major difference if he's constantly coming and going. I think Mittelstadt is very underrated and gives COL a legit 2C like when they had Kadri. Lekhonen also is sneaky good. And the MacKinnon factor....he's out of this world. But like i said....i don't trust that COL will ever have all these guys together when it matters.

 

[BB88]

People love living in fantasy land? How is "fantasy land" to say what i said? I said the Avs group is unreliable because rarely ever together, but if they were, I would take them over FLA...and even then it would be close. Its definitely OK to disagree, but its not some outlandish take. And isn't Lundell the 3C? Rodriguez the other W in the top 6?

Really...if you ask me....FLA's most potent potential lineup is when they're able to put Reinhart with L and L on the "3rd" line. Gotta find someone maybe at the TDL(like they did last year) to play with Barkov and Rodriguez. Then you've got basically 3 top lines.

In fantasy land where you exactly are living.

”If they were” you don’t realize how massive that if of yours is?

One of the key players in your point hasn’t played in 2.5 years and there’s nothing concrete to support he’s playing anytime soon or even again

 

[SimpleJack]

In fantasy land where you exactly are living.

”If they were” you don’t realize how massive that if of yours is?

One of the key players in your point hasn’t played in 2.5 years and there’s nothing concrete to support he’s playing anytime soon or even again

This is literally a direct quote from my initial post:

"...the problem is that's just a huge "if" because they never seem to be healthy".

And I've repeated since multiple other times how i don't trust that they'll be together when it matters for any extended period of time. That doesn't mean that its impossible though, we'll have to wait and see.

 

[BB88]

This is literally a direct quote from my initial post:

"...the problem is that's just a huge "if" because they never seem to be healthy".

And I've repeated since multiple other times how i don't trust that they'll be together when it matters for any extended period of time. That doesn't mean that its impossible though, we'll have to wait and see.

So again living in fantasy land

Expecting impossible to happen for your point to even have a point

Nobodys top6 is as skilled and balanced as Floridas in real world

 

[Laus723]

People love living in fantasy land? How is "fantasy land" to say what i said? I said the Avs group is unreliable because rarely ever together, but if they were, I would take them over FLA...and even then it would be close. Its definitely OK to disagree, but its not some outlandish take. And isn't Lundell the 3C? Rodriguez the other W in the top 6?

Really...if you ask me....FLA's most potent potential lineup is when they're able to put Reinhart with L and L on the "3rd" line. Gotta find someone maybe at the TDL(like they did last year) to play with Barkov and Rodriguez. Then you've got basically 3 top lines.

Reino played with Barkov and Erod, Tank was on the 3rd with Lundy and Luos. We won the Cup. It’s been a couple years since Reino was on the 3rd.

 

[Sniper99]

And a borderline top 10 player in the world. It’s funny because you watch him play and he has absolutely zero explosiveness. But he is the single smartest player in hockey and is crazy versatile. Best two-way winger of his generation.

Hes nowhere even close to the border, lets pump the brakes here. Having a great start to the season after his 57 goals last year and a PK machine, I've got him in my keeper league and we're owning the SHP category thanks to him.

 

[pb1300]

Hes nowhere even close to the border, lets pump the brakes here. Having a great start to the season after his 57 goals last year and a PK machine, I've got him in my keeper league and we're owning the SHP category thanks to him.

So being a top 15-20 player in the world makes him nowhere close to the border? What does he have to be, top 10.25453622 to be considered? Pump the brakes on him not being "nowhere near the border."

 

[Sniper99]

So being a top 15-20 player in the world makes him nowhere close to the border? What does he have to be, top 10.25453622 to be considered? Pump the brakes on him not being "nowhere near the border."

LOL thats not what I meant, of course in the Top 20 for sure. But not Top 10. Right now with the season as it is right now. I'd say yes, Top 15-20. God, I love this site.

 

[ratmanfu]

IMO and as a Panthers fan, Reinhart isn't the best player on the roster. I feel that Barkov fits that definition.

However, I think that Reinhart is the most opportunistic and the smartest on the roster. Coach Maurice has been effective in tailoring his offense to capitalize on Reinhart's strengths.

 

[Dread Clawz]

IMO and as a Panthers fan, Reinhart isn't the best player on the roster. I feel that Barkov fits that definition.

However, I think that Reinhart is the most opportunistic and the smartest on the roster. Coach Maurice has been effective in tailoring his offense to capitalize on Reinhart's strengths.

Yes, Reinhart"s, Tkachuk's , and Bennett 's.

 

[ratmanfu]

Yes, Reinhart"s, Tkachuk's , and Bennett 's.

Agree, but I also think that players like Tkachuk and Bennett can force their way into most offensive strategies.

Reinhart has a skillset that requires more chemistry and disciplined puck movement to be fully effective. Tkachuk and Bennett mostly rely on net presence...but Tkachuk is almost a unicorn, since he adds a lot of creativity to his repertoire.

 

[Dread Clawz]

Agree, but I also think that players like Tkachuk and Bennett can force their way into most offensive strategies.

Reinhart has a skillset that requires more chemistry and disciplined puck movement to be fully effective. Tkachuk and Bennett mostly rely on net presence...but Tkachuk is almost a unicorn, since he adds a lot of creativity to his repertoire.

Well I was referring to the Panthers liking to establish an aggressive forecheck in order to funnel pucks back to the point. You can have repeated success offensively when you have guys like Reino and Tkachuk tipping shots. And then Reino, Tkachuk, and Bennett pouncing on rebounds.