Griffin Reinhart was acquired by the Edmonton Oilers back on Draft Day in a trade with the New York Islanders for the 2015 16th overall pick and a 33rd overall pick.
At the time (and still think so), it was an overpayment. Reinhart was a former 4th overall pick but reportedly struggled in his first pro season in the AHL.
However, people went overboard. If you looked on Twitter, there were quite a few players comparing him to a slower Hal Gill. Which was not right. What I do think though, is that Griffin Reinhart will make those people eat crow and it’s time for us to support the other promising defensive prospect.
The Deal
Unfortunately, I feel that Reinhart will always be linked with the draft day trade. I thought it was an overpay for a young, developing Defenseman. Like many others, I was hoping for a package for a veteran ready defenseman.
Lowetide did a great piece in the summer about the likely hood of a draft pick (via Scott Cullen of TSN) which you can see here.
The main idea was this: The Oilers traded a 24% chance of a top 6 player in the 16th pick (Mathew Barzal) and a 12% chance of a top six player in the 33rd pick (Mitchell Stephens) for a 52% chance of a top 4 D. Doing the simple Math, 52%>24%+12%. It’s a bet, but not a bad bet when you look on it like this.
However, it’s worth saying the following: It was not Reinhart who chose to be traded for the two draft picks. He will be linked to those two picks, especially if he underperforms, which is unfair to the player himself.
About Reinhart
The initial scouting reports from people were that Reinhart was a slow underperforming player in his first year as a pro. However, not many people in Edmonton saw him play last year. In fact, I don’t think it would be a stretch to say that ANYONE saw him play.
I watched Reinhart as an Oil King (since I went to many games over the years) and he’s always stood out. Does he have the best shot? No. Does he have great blazing speed? No. Is he mean and use his size? Not quite. While that does not sound favorable, Reinhart is a jack of all trades type of defenseman.
In our latest game against Winnipeg, Reinhart stood out for all the right reasons for me. Sure, it is worth noting that it was against AHL quality competition, but Reinhart was probably one of our better players. I thought in all honesty, he was our second best player that night behind Justin Schultz. The part of Reinhart’s game was that nothing stood out and that’s a good thing. He did everything so smooth. He used his body and strength to fight players for puck possession. He was not beat in a speed race against anyone. He was able to receive the puck via Eric Gryba and was able to move the puck out quite effectively.
Like Todd McLellan said: He looked Poised. Reinhart is a calm, cool customer on the back end and frankly, that’s something that the Oilers have lacked for so long.
I’m saying this: I would not be shocked if Reinhart made the team in a top six role. I believe that Reinhart does have what it takes to make the team and has out performed a guy like Nikita Nikitin in my eyes for a roster spot. Again, it’s worth stressing that he’s just had one solid hockey game, but it was a very strong game from Reinhart. You can have questions about his offensive upside but at this point, I’d take a guy who can just be solid in his own end and move the puck effectively. Reinhart can do that.
I’m starting to think that this guy will be the next jersey I’ll be adding to my collection. I’m excited to have Reinhart, trade value be damned, on the team and I’m really looking forward to see how he develops. I really feel like the Edmonton Oilers have a keeper here.