The Buffalo Sabres announced over the weekend that they have re-signed both forward Sam Reinhart and backstop Linus Ullmark to one-year contracts. For Reinhart, he’ll receive $5.2 million, while Linus Ullmark will make $2.6 million.
The deals for both these players come before their arbitration hearings, and with both now on the books, it addresses two needs at top-six forwards and goalie duo. During the 2019-20 season, Reinhart recorded 50 points, scoring 22 goals along with 28 assists. The centreman has been consistent during his five-year tenure with the Sabres in Buffalo.
He’s notched 20 goals in four of those five seasons and regularly plays on the top line with Jack Eichel. Should Reinhart increase his production this year with the signing of forward Taylor Hall, Reinhart should be in line for a sizeable salary increase in 2021-22.
Linus Ullmark, in 2019-20, started 34 games for the Buffalo Sabres. He owned a record of 17-13-4 which saw the him set a new career high in wins. He owned a 2.69 GAA along with a save percentage of .915. The former sixth-round pick took over the role of starting goaltender for most of last season.
This was with Carter Hutton serving as Buffalo’s backup while Ullmark was performing well. Ullmark and Hutton are expected to share the net again this season, although it’s worth noting that Carter Hutton announced he was suffering last season from a “vision disorder.” This required therapy to help resolve the issue.
The two signings of Reinhart and Ullmark help solidify Buffalo’s top-six as well as the goalie tandem for the upcoming season. However, it also raises questions about the next round of RFA’s as the Sabres are still trying to sign a pair in forward Dominik Kahun and winger Victor Olofsson.