The Buffalo Sabres nailed their No. 2 overall draft picks in both 2014 and 2015.
Sam Reinhart and Jack Eichel, well done.
One problem: Both had to leave Buffalo to flourish.
And after Eichel got to lift the Stanley Cup with the Las Vegas Golden Knights, it was Reinhart’s turn on Tuesday night.
The Panthers finished off the Oilers in six games, and they did it thanks to Reinhart’s NHL history.
Reinhart put away four goals in the dominant clincher. It’s the first four-goal game in the Stanley Cup Finals since Maurice Richard in 1957, per ESPN.
THAT’S FOUR GOALS FOR SAM REINHART 😱
That ties the Stanley Cup Final record, last done by Maurice Richard in 1957! pic.twitter.com/v7tIfQfz9O
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 18, 2025
Reinhart always showed some potential in Buffalo. But only upon joining Florida did he really flourish.
He immediately had his first two 30-goal seasons in his first two years with the Panthers, then went for 57 goals in 2023-24.
This regular season, he had 39 goals and 42 assists, and he just scored eight points in the final four games of the Stanley Cup Finals.
And with that, Reinhart lifts the Cup for those Buffalo fans who needed someone to root for amid a long playoff drought.
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