Will Sam Reinhart Start Next Season in Buffalo?

The Buffalo Sabres have a bright future with all their young prospects. One of the most intriguing is young Sam Reinhart. All the talk has been about potential second overall pick Jack Eichel, but Reinhart’s fate might be interwoven with the Sabres in 2015-2016. Reinhart himself was a second overall pick.

If Reinhart doesn’t make the Sabres roster out of training camp, he’ll be in the American Hockey League with the Rochester Americans. Even if he is with the Americans to open the season, chances are he’ll be called up to Buffalo and he might be there for good after one recall.

When Reinhart was returned to his junior team, the Kootenay Ice, conditioning was cited as a reason why. If there were still concerns in that department, general manager Tim Murray may have put them to rest. Murray said this week that Reinhart has been working out in Buffalo after his junior and AHL seasons ended, and results were positive.

The Sabres are absolutely stacked with young talent, with Sam Bennett, Eichel, and Reinhart all at forward. Newly inked head coach Dan Bylsma also sees star potential with Reinhart and the rest of this group.

“I probably learned as much from working with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin as they did from me,” Bylsma said to the Buffalo News. “I think it’s going to be applicable to the likes of Sam Reinhart and Jack Eichel.”

Eichel hasn’t seen a second of NHL time yet and Reinhart has barely played. Bylsma knows what its like to coach super stars, so maybe he can get the most out of these two if they do start the season in the NHL.

Reinhart, 19 years old, played just nine games with the Sabres in 2014-2015 before he was sent back to his junior team. He recorded 65 points in his 47 games with the Ice.

“Does Jack have a lot to improve on and get better at while playing against bigger men in a bigger game?” said Bylsma in an article on TheScore.com “He does. But he’s a very good player. Where’s he going to stack up in terms of great or good in this league? That remains to be seen, but he’s got some very good talent.”

No matter how you slice it, the Sabres have serious talent coming through their system. Even if they don’t give Reinhart the chance to start out the season, he will be a big part of their plans in 2014-2015.