Looking Back at the Sam Reinhart Trade 4 Years Later

On July 24th, 2021, the Buffalo Sabres traded their top winger, Sam Reinhart, to the Florida Panthers for Devon Levi and a first-round pick. At the time, the trade looked to be a fair swap. Reinhart would help Florida’s offense, and Levi would help the Sabres in the rebuild. It was your ordinary star on a rebuilding team traded to a contender team.

Fast forward four years later, this trade is more lopsided than ever. Sam Reinhart has had an extremely successful career with the Panthers. In 315 games in Florida, he has accumulated 157 goals, 162 assists, and a Stanley Cup. Devon Levi, who was supposed to be a promising prospect for Buffalo, has never shown any glimpses of game-changing talent. In his 39 starts with Buffalo, he has a .894 SV% and a 3.29 GAA.

Let’s take a deeper dive into how this trade has impacted both teams’ futures.

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Florida Acquired a Franchise Forward for Almost Nothing

At the time of the trade, the Panthers were coming off of a strong shortened season, finishing the year with a 37-14-5 record before the lockdown. After being offensively dominated in the first playoff round by the eventual cup champions, the Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida went all out to acquire their next offensive stud. Reinhart was set to become a free agent that summer, so Florida GM Bill Zito took a chance on him.

The following season, Reinhart debuted in the red and tan jersey. In his first ten games with the club, he tallied eight points—two goals and six assists—and in his next ten, he recorded nine—four goals and five assists. He became a factor player for the Panthers and finished off the year with 82 points, consisting of 33 goals and 49 assists. When it came time for his first playoff appearance, he recorded four points (three goals and one assist) in ten games.

He slowed down his offense the next season, only recording 67 points in 82 games. The next season, however, was something to behold. Reinhart scored an astounding 57 goals—shooting with a 23.5 S%—and 94 points. His 57 goals placed him second among the league leaders in goals that season. In the playoffs, he scored ten goals and notched six assists to take home Lord Stanley. This season, he is averaging just above a point per game with 76 points in 73 games.

Levi Wasn’t Much for Buffalo, Neither Was Their Pick

When Levi joined the Sabres that summer, he was expected to become the next great thing in net. He recorded a 0.964 SV% and a 0.75 GAA in the 2020-21 WJC, taking home silver. At Northeastern University, Levi put up an impressive 0.952 SV% and 1.54 GAA with ten shutouts. Buffalo fans were eager to see what Levi would do at the professional level. In his NHL debut, Levi recorded a 0.939 SV%, allowing two goals on 33 shots. His next game was even better as he had a 0.944 SV%. He played seven more games and finished the season with a 0.905 SV% and 2.94 GAA.

Levi began to fall off the following year as he recorded a 0.899 SV% with 3.10 GAA. His AHL stint with the Rochester Americans was on par with his past performances, a .927 SV% and 2.42 GAA in 26 games. The Sabres gave him another chance this season, but he, yet again, let his supporters down. With a 0.872 SV% and 4.12 GAA in nine games, he was demoted to the AHL, where he has been since the beginning of 2025. Levi is only 23 years old and still has time to grow as a goaltender, but with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen shining bright in the net, Levi may struggle ever to get a real gig with Buffalo.

The Sabres also received a 2022 first-round pick in the deal. In the draft, Buffalo selected Czech forward Jiri Kulich. The rookie has played 54 games in his career and has become a key piece to the Sabres young core. He has 21 points so far, 14 of which are goals. He scored two goals in a 7-3 blowout win against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Kulich isn’t no Reinhart but it’s way too early to begin saying who will be better. However, if we’re looking at which team is benefiting from the trade, it’s quite obvious.

Florida Won by a Landslide; Buffalo Got Caught In It

It’s clear who won this trade. Florida got a cup, and Buffalo is still in a rebuild. Reinhart is one of Florida’s top forwards and is highly reliable in any scenario. Levi is a fringe NHL backup who is struggling to stay consistent. The only positive that really came out of this trade for Buffalo was the acquisiton of Kulich but even then, the team hasn’t seen any success as a result of it.

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