The Journey: The Brothers Reinhart

Zach Hopkins

2014-11-08

Sam Reinhart

Taking a deep look at the fantasy prospects of the Reinhart family.

The Howes. The Hulls. The Sutters. These families are staples in the world of hockey and each left their mark on the game over the course of many generations. Today, a new family is emerging and preparing to take the game by storm. In this edition of The Journey, we'll take a look at the Reinhart brothers as they prepare to make the leap to National Hockey League stardom.

MAX REINHART (Center -22 years old)

64^th overall pick in the 2010 entry draft by the Calgary Flames

Max is the oldest son of Paul Reinhart, a 1979 first round pick of the Atlanta Flames and NHL All-star. Thirty-one years later, the Flames (now from Calgary) took Max in the third round of the 2010 entry draft. Prior to be drafted, Reinhart played two seasons for the Kootenay Ice of the Western Hockey League where he amassed 78 points in 134 games played with a plus-14 rating. He also gained experience from playing in the World Hockey Challenge and World Junior Championships for Canada U17 and U18 respectively. The Flames were most impressed by his vision on the ice and his reputation for being a skilled, two-way player who excelled on special teams. Reinhart returned to Kootenay for the 2010-2011 season and put up numbers the Flames expected to see from a projected top-six forward. He scored 34 goals and added 45 helpers to eclipse the 1.0 points/game mark (79 in 71) and saw his plus/minus rating climb to plus-30. He helped lead the Ice to the semifinals of the Memorial Cup where they ultimately lost to the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors. The following year after an impressive training camp with the Flames, he returned to the Ice and finished one-two in scoring with his younger brother, Sam. He recorded 78 points in just 61 games and played his first professional hockey games later that season for the Abbotsford Heat of the American Hockey League. Over the course of the next few seasons, Reinhart split his time between Abbotsford and Calgary. After a sluggish period, he lit up the American League with 63 points in 66 games in 2013-2014.

Although he has started the current season in the AHL, his 19 games of NHL experience and upside make him a logical choice to be recalled. In fact, the next time he cracks the big club's roster may be the last as he prepares for a long NHL career.

Max Reinhart's first NHL goal vs. Edmonton (2013)

Dobber Prospect Rank: fifth overall Calgary prospect

Fantasy Outlook: B-

Pros: two-way player, plays both special teams, speed, quick release, vision

Cons: physicality in the corners

Anticipated NHL Arrival: 0-1 years

GRIFFIN REINHART</a> (Defense – 20 years-old)</p> <p>Fourth overall pick in the 2012 entry draft by the New York Islanders</p> <p> </p> <p><div id="imageright"><script type="text/javascript"src="http://ap.lijit.com///www/delivery/fpi.js?z=198568&u=dobbersports&width=300&height=250″></script></div></p> <p>Griffin is the first Reinhart son to take after father Paul by focusing more on the defensive side of the game. The middle son was drafted third overall by the Edmonton Oil Kings in the 2009 WHL Bantam draft and enjoyed a solid rookie campaign with 25 points in 45 games manning the blueline. That same year, he captained the Canada Pacific U17 team to the bronze medal at the World Hockey Challenge and tallied one goal, six assists and seven points in six games. His second full season in the WHL saw him tally 12 goals, 24 assists and 36 points in 58 games while posting an impressive plus-23 rating. He lead Edmonton deep into the playoffs and solidified his spot as the 10<sup>th</sup> best American skater by NHL Central Scouting just prior to the 2012 draft. After being drafted by the Islanders with the fourth pick in 2012, Reinhart returned to the Oil Kings for two more seasons, captaining the team for both of them. His final two WHL seasons saw him score 50 points in 104 games with a plus-50 rating and he was a member of the Canadian U20 team in the World Junior Championships in each season.</p> <p> </p> <p>This season, Reinhart made the Islanders roster out of training camp and played in their first three games, each of which they won. To accommodate the return of injured players and to further build his professional game, he was sent to Bridgeport of the AHL and has posted six points in eight games while honing his skills as a top-pair defenseman. He almost certainly will be one of the first defensemen recalled if the need should arise and he will likely only spend this season (or parts of it) in the minor leagues.</p> <p> </p> <p>Griffin Reinhart's first professional goal vs. Albany (2014)</p> <p> </p> <p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/RNMBpWpgzs8?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen>

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Dobber Prospect Rank: third overall New York prospect

Fantasy Outlook: A-

Pros: size, hockey sense, leadership, toughness, grit

Cons: offensive production

Anticipated NHL Arrival: 0-1 years

SAM REINHART</a> (Center – 19 years-old)</p> <p>Second overall pick in the 2014 entry draft by the Buffalo Sabres</p> <p> </p> <p>Sam is perhaps the most talented of the brood. He was selected 15<sup>th</sup> overall in the first round of the WHL Bantam Draft in 2010 by the Kootenay Ice. In his first season, he was the second leading scorer on the team behind his brother, Max, with 62 points in 67 games. He turned in a plus-16 rating and only had two penalty minutes all season. For his efforts, Reinhart was name WHL Rookie of the Year. In 2011-2012, Sam was also a member of the Canada Pacific U17 team at the World Hockey Challenge and the Canada U18 team in the World Junior Championships. The following season, Reinhart led the team in scoring with 85 points in 72 games and was named an assistant captain. He captained Canada's U18 team that year at the World Junior Championships and recorded seven points in seven games. The 2013-2014 season saw Reinhart make his final push towards increasing his stock for the upcoming NHL entry draft in Philadelphia. As team captain, he set career highs with 36 goals and 69 assists for an astonishing 105 points in just 60 games. His plus-24 rating was also a career high. After tallying 23 points in 13 playoff games and five points in seven games with the Canadian U20 team at the World Junior Championships, NHL Central Scouting had him listed as the third best American skater behind Sam Bennett and Aaron Ekblad. In June, he was selected second overall by the rebuilding Buffalo Sabres and signed his three-year entry-level deal not much longer afterwards.</p> <p> </p> <p>Sam made the Buffalo Sabres opening night squad this season out of training camp as he impressed General Manager Tim Murray and Head Coach Ted Nolan. With the Sabres struggling and well on their way towards a high pick in 2015, they sent Reinhart back to Kootenay for his fourth season after nine games in which he registered one assist and was a minus-one. The move was labeled as being the right thing to do for the Buffalo Sabres as well as Sam Reinhart. Now, he will get the opportunity to play big minutes on the top line and will no doubt shine for the host Canadian team at the 2015 World Junior Championships.</p> <p> </p> <p>Sam Reinhart's first NHL point vs. San Jose (2014)</p> <p> </p> <p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/IplhZgqzxxk?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen>

Dobber Prospect Rank: first overall Buffalo prospect

Fantasy Outlook: A

Pros: leadership, vision, soft hands, puck skills, disciplined

Cons: physicality

Anticipated NHL Arrival: 1 year