LOS ANGELES - Sam Reinhart is back at center for the Florida Panthers, filling in for injured captain Aleksander Barkov as Florida closes out a four-game road trip against the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET with a 1-0-2 record and a three-game point streak.
Reinhart, who has moved between center and wing throughout his career, practiced Monday at Crypto.com Arena alongside linemates Brady Tkachuk and Brad Marchand. “It’s really a different look,” Reinhart said after the session. “You see the game in different areas. You pick up the puck with a little bit more speed at times and you get it on your stick a little bit more. It’s a position that I’ve switched a lot back and forth with, and the more time you’re able to play there, the more comfortable you are.”
The trio showed early promise in Sunday’s 3-2 overtime loss to the Anaheim Ducks. Over 8:52 of 5-on-5 ice time together, the line led 12-2 in shot attempts, 4-0 in shots on goal and posted a 100% expected goals for percentage, per NaturalStatTrick.com. Tkachuk is in his first season with Florida, while Marchand is returning from offseason surgery, having not played a game since March 6. “We got almost three moving parts,” head coach Paul Maurice said. “Brady’s new, Sam Reinhart’s in a position that he hasn’t played recent, and Brad would tell you that the game was a whole lot different last night than his last four or five months of practice. We think that line will continue to get better. They didn’t give up anything really of note. They were strong defensively, had a few chances, and we’ve got lots of confidence they’ll find more.”
Defenseman Seth Jones has shouldered a massive load through the early stretch, averaging 28:26 of ice time per game - roughly six minutes more than the second-highest skater on the Panthers. In 915 career games, Jones has posted 473 points (106 goals, 367 assists). Defensive partner Niko Mikkola said the workload is no surprise. “I feel like he’s even faster,” Mikkola said. “He’s getting faster every year. He’s playing great. He has been and is still one of the best in the league.” Reinhart echoed that assessment: “Ever since he’s come here, he’s been an absolute horse back there. He relieves so much pressure on our game.”
The Panthers are also managing the absence of veteran defenseman Aaron Ekblad, who left the team prior to Sunday’s game against the Ducks for family reasons and is expected to rejoin the club after the Los Angeles trip. In two games this season, Ekblad recorded an assist and two hits while averaging 20:55 of ice time alongside Gustav Forsling on Florida’s top defensive pair. In his absence, Dmitry Kulikov - a 1,040-game NHL veteran - slotted in beside Forsling during Monday’s practice. Over the 14-plus minutes Kulikov and Forsling have shared the ice at 5-on-5 this season, the Panthers have yet to surrender a goal. “He can play both sides and he can play right up the lineup,” Maurice said of Kulikov. “He’s had so much experience doing it, so there’s no drop off in his game. He certainly doesn’t approach it any differently. He’s got a good veteran pro’s mind.”
Florida faces the Kings on Tuesday night, with Ekblad expected back when the team returns to South Florida to open its home schedule.