Sam Reinhart Set to Return Tonight Against Montreal

By Marc Deschamps

Sabres fans wanted Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel. It's hard to blame them. The two young rookies had both been positioned as the next big thing. As pundits predicted them as the next Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin, fans inevitably began rooting for their teams to tank to get them. Eichel has already proven himself an invaluable addition to the Buffalo Sabres roster, but another rookie has proven nearly as impressive this season. Sam Reinhart may not have the name recognition of McDavid or Eichel, but that just might help him even more.

from USA Today

Acquired in the 2014 NHL entry draft, Reinhart has had a strong start to his debut season. Unfortunately, the rookie's progress came to a halt in late January when Reinhart suffered a concussion following a mid-ice collision with Colorado's John Mitchell in a 2-1 loss to the Avalanche. Fortunately for Reinhart and Buffalo, the injury came shortly before the All-Star break, granting the rookie some extra time to recover. He's only missed three games as a result.

Despite the setback, Reinhart is still one of the leading goal scorers amongst rookies in the NHL with 12 goals. Reinhart isn't the only freshman that suffered from injury this season. Connor McDavid made his return last night against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The number one pick in the NHL draft last season had been out since November, leaving the Edmonton Oilers struggling. The Oilers clearly missed McDavid. With a goal and two assists, he played an integral role in Edmonton's 5-1 win.

The Sabres could certainly use a similar boost from Reinhart. The team will play three games in the next four nights: tonight against Montreal, and a home and home against Boston on Thursday and Saturday. With the Sabres currently 11 points out of a playoff spot, they'll need Reinhart's assistance if they have any hope of making up that ground.

As the Buffalo Sabres reach the halfway point of the 2015-16 season, a clearer picture of the identity of this team, and its future, starts to become visible. Sam Reinhart seems poised to become a key player in that future. While rookies like Jack Eichel and Dylan Larkin are more likely as Calder trophy favorites, Sam Reinhart is quickly proving to be one of the more exciting Sabres to keep an eye on going forward. Being under-the-radar has certainly helped him in the first half of the season. Time will tell if it will continue to be a blessing.