Prospect Info: Sam Reinhart (2014, 2nd) – '14-15: Kootenay #23 (WHL) – Part 1: Returned to juniors

[26CornerBlitz]

Anyone have the Black Book, McKeen's, FC, Red Line, ISS, etc to share some excerpts for Reinhart or our picks tomorrow?

I have the bolded and THN.

 

[Fly Boy]

Holy **** we have Reinhart!!!!

 

[Paxon]

So, over/under on how many games it will take for him to surpass last season's goal total for the last Sabre to wear #23?

EDIT: he already matched it, doh.

Favorite post of the day. Second favorite was the Operation Reinhardt reference with regards to that ridiculous TSN "The Final Solution" gaffe. That makes you 2014 NHL Entry Draft, Day 1 Most Valuable Poster.

 

[KennyFnPowers*]

Meet, Samson Powers:

Newest member of our family!

Edit: Should mention, we've had a Dalila for 5yrs already... so the stars have aligned today! #w00t÷

 

[JurassicTunga]

Congrats on getting Sam Reinhart! He's going to be great for you guys.

 

[Paxon]

[NHL]626667[/NHL]

Meet, Samson Powers:

Newest member of our family!

Excellent

 

[Paxon]

Listening to Murray's interview (http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?id=626792 -- I embedded in the GDT), he said Reinhart was #1 on their board, as we all basically knew, and that he was #1 on their board from their very first organizational meeting in May. They tweaked the board several times from then, but Sam remained atop.

 

[Crazy Tasty]

I couldn't have said it better than these comments. Guy I wanted all along! Adds to our new young core. Thank you Tim Murray

and wasn't Murray's announcement classic! No thank you phily, no we are proud to select, no nonsense....here's the name

Boss.

 

[BCS]

I couldn't be happier with the pick. This "suffering" thing is going rather well so far.

 

[26CornerBlitz]

Reinhart Reports

Black Book

Sam is an excellent two-way player and has shown he can play a complete game at both ends of the ice. Sam seems to do everything well and makes it looks effortless at times. He has a very powerful release on his shot and has ideal positioning in the offensive zone, always finding some open ice and utilizing it to his advantage. He is capable of beating defenders one on one but isn’t an overly flashy player. He can sometimes very quietly start producing points simply out of his calm, poised demeanor and hockey sense with and without the puck. He is also effective dishing the puck to the streaking forward of threading the needle in tight for a back door goal. Both offensively and defensively Sam can be very dangerous every shift. Sam has proven to be the guy you always want on the ice in critical situations and has shown he can play consistent every night at the junior level.

ISS

Scouting Report:
What makes Reinhart so dangerous is his ability to dominate a game without the flash or constant barrage of risky plays that tend to stick out with other high potential offensive players. Reinhart sees the entire ice and always seems to be at least one step ahead of everyone else on the ice when the puck is on his stick. He is a dominant PP set up man from the half wall but has also shown that he can be a very dangerous shooter as well. He has an elite understanding of positioning and game physics in all three zones of the ice and on both sides of the puck. He very rarely jumps at you because of any particular skill
but he is always effective and a consistent offensive threat in every game he plays.

McKeen's

Possesses the best on ice awareness of all draft eligible prospects understanding how to play and analyze all game situations .. approaches the game not unlike Ron Francis .. elite poise under pressure, exploiting his time
and space intelligently .. can diffuse pressure and get out of jams by simply using his smarts as one can see the gears literally turning in his head .. always in the right position to make a play whether it be on the offensive or defensive side of the puck .. not a flashy or explosive skater, his game misses a breakaway gear .. more of a steady and functional skater with some deceptive quickness .. doesn’t seem to have a ‘killer’ passion as he can lose intensity in 1 on 1 battles .. needs to get stronger and thicker up top as he can be easily knocked over onto his knees when shoved from behind .. Reinhart has accomplished much at the international level playing in every tournament of his junior career.. a move to the NHL next season appears imminently likely.

FC

STRENGTHS: The 2014 NHL Draft’s top forward prospect has delivered consistently all season for Kootenay. His top asset is his mind as he is always a step or two ahead of his opponents. Because of his intelligence, Reinhart can play a ton of minutes in all situations as your top-line center. His positioning and decision-making skills are elite. While on the surface, he is lacking the flash of a typical top pick, Reinhart seems to always find a way to forward the puck to a teammate and seems to thread difficult passes across the ice with ease. His vision is outstanding and he is creative in a discrete way. The typical Sam Reinhart goal: him sitting back in the play and waiting for a moment to find open ice around the net, and in a split second, striking with a quick wrist shot from that open ice after his teammate found him with a well-placed pass. His usual accurate shot has improved all season both in its release and velocity. He is strong on the draw, and shows poise and composure with the puck. He uses his body well as a shield for the puck. Reinhart has the rare ability to slow the pace down when he gets the puck. Shows very good anticipation in the defensive zone. He looks unassertive in his end at times, but his timing is just excellent. Reinhart always seems to lurk around, but the next thing you know, he has picked off a pass with his quick stick and excellent positioning, and in a flash, has started the transition up ice. Poise with and without the puck is phenomenal and hardly ever panics or gets worked up.

WEAKNESSES: While it is not really a weakness--more of his identity--Reinhart is not a flashy kid with an impressive set of wheels and the ability to dangle the puck through defenders for a highlight-reel play. Instead, he is very effective and efficient. Not the typical top-five draft pick in that regard. His skating lacks the burst and explosiveness you want in a top-line type forward prospect, even if he is rarely, if ever, behind the play. He lacks the speed to project as highly effective off the rush. Reinhart looks to be lacking intensity and can frustrate with his perceived lack of urgency. He also does not have a physical element to his game, but instead relies on his hockey sense and smarts to win most battles.

THN

ON A DISAPPOINTING CANADIAN WJC team, Reinhart was one of the best and most consistent forwards, behind Ottawa pick Curtis Lazar. Coach Brent Sutter had him killing penalties way back in the summer evaluation camp tournament that saw the Canadians face off against the U.S., Sweden Finland in Lake Placid, N.Y., because the national boss knew the kid could handle it. "He's so smart that it makes up for his weaknesses," said one scout. "He takes away space and uses his angles. He's a good enough skater, deadly on the power play and his line mates get five or six chances a game because of him." Reinhart was lightning for Kootenay in the playoffs and was buzzing during the CHL Top Prospects Game, where he stood out as one of the top performers. Consistency has been a Question, if only a Quibble. "There are times when you want him to dig deeper," said one scout. "But he does so many things well."

ESPN

Prospect analysis: Reinhart is the best pure passer in the draft class. His ability to dictate tempo elevates his game to a distinct level. Reinhart can make all kinds of plays with the puck, and his elite hockey sense stands out regularly. He has average size but will work hard in battles for the puck. Some of the skills that distinguish Reinhart are his smart play in the defensive zone and his ability to shut down opposing top players, and he is an asset on the penalty kill. -- Pronman

Team-fit analysis: If you are a Buffalo fan, you can take solace in the fact that the abysmal mess that was the Sabres' 2013-14 season at least yielded a high-end, two-way center who will very likely start the 2014-15 season on their NHL roster. For as bad as Buffalo was last year (and it was historically bad), this is a team with a lot of young talent on the way. They are prospect-strong in areas (center and defense) that are extremely difficult to fill in trade and free agency. -- Provenzano

 

[JLewyB]

Listening to Murray's interview (http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?id=626792 -- I embedded in the GDT), he said Reinhart was #1 on their board, as we all basically knew, and that he was #1 on their board from their very first organizational meeting in May. They tweaked the board several times from then, but Sam remained atop.

With all the trade offers Tim made, half of the team's behind the scenes documentary is going to have a round table discussion about whether they should accept Buffalo's offer or go with their "guy".

 

[monster_bertuzzi]

I couldn't be happier with the pick. This "suffering" thing is going rather well so far.

Im trying to explain this to Canuck fans but most of them want to battle for 9th place.

 

[BCS]

Im trying to explain this to Canuck fans but most of them want to battle for 9th place.

It's like "The Shawshank Redemption." If you want to live the good life, sometimes you've gotta crawl through 500 yards of ****.

 

[Fearnot]

We can retire this song now? http://www.nickmendola.com/song-centerman/

 

[kirby11]

Love what I'm seeing in highlight clips...the hockey iq is so evident. Very few individual effort plays, way more being in the right space at the right time. And his passing is sick. One play in particular: he chipped a puck past a defender along the boards, beat the man to it, and made a perfect saucer pass that both got over the chasing defenseman's stick and on the tape of his own winger's stick as he was driving up the middle of the ice. I don't think there's anyone on our team that could have made that kind of pass going that quickly with a defender right on their tail...maybe hodgson

 

[ZeroPT*]

I love him saying he's pictured himself in the uniform.

That in itself is ****ing awesome. Historically bad, players want to be with you. ****ing awesome

 

[EichHart]

Are we going to be stickying these picks like last year, so they are more easily found?

 

[Push Dr Tracksuit]

Im trying to explain this to Canuck fans but most of them want to battle for 9th place.

Took us almost three years to get the majority of the board on board...

Lotta tank commander threads

The Sabres stratum, head to the bottom and draft D then centrum

 

[EichHart]

I love him saying he's pictured himself in the uniform.

That in itself is ****ing awesome. Historically bad, players want to be with you. ****ing awesome

So this is what it feels like to have a historically bad season in which the team drafting 6th overall has 31 more points than you. Then to have that one guy that you wanted nearly all year be drafted by your team and for him to be happy and ecstatic to be apart of it and how he could see himself on lines of our current line-up. Now if this can happen for ONE more season next year we will be golden.

 

[Paxon]

Cue the Max and Griffin trade threads

 

[ZeroPT*]

My #1 all year. By far my favorite of the top 4.

I too see him as a step above the other 2 centers.

I'd love to see how he would match-up against Bergy in a couple years.

 

[Paxon]

Ugh...

... return to sender!

 

[Woodhouse]

Oh no!

 

[FoSotC]

I love him saying he's pictured himself in the uniform.

That in itself is ****ing awesome. Historically bad, players want to be with you. ****ing awesome

I'm sure all of the top prospects in this draft pictured themselves wearing a Sabres uniform at some point as the team's race to the bottom of the league became ever more apparent.

 

[Sabre the Win]

Ugh...

... return to sender!

at least he doesn't have gardening gloves on