Should the San Jose Sharks be looking at star winger Sam Reinhart in free agency?

San Jose's offense struggled to put the puck in the back of the net last season. With the opening of free agency less than a month away, we're going to start examining the free agent class and assessing if there is anyone in the future who could dramatically improve the Sharks to the point that the organization would be better off adding a couple of these guys now that it has more than $37 million in cap space.

The player that we are starting with today is Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart. He's on a tear this season, recording 50 goals for the first time in his career. The risk is that there is no certainty Reinhart can continue to produce at the rate he has been producing this year. Fifty-seven goals and 37 assists for 94 points will make him a highly valued free agent, and the Panthers are unlikely to re-sign him.

He's been a big part of Florida's bid to get back to the Stanley Cup Finals with his contributions this postseason. With eight goals and four assists for twelve points in sixteen games at the time of writing, this is a player who could be a significant difference-maker for an organization that has had a tough time getting the puck into the back of the net. He could also be a mentor for some of the kids coming through.

The risk then becomes: are you willing to meet his contractual demands? If he wants 9 million a year for seven years, is that worth it? He'll likely fill a top-six spot that could go to someone like Will Smith in the future. But that contract will look better as the cap continues to jump up. It's a risk, but it could be something that works long-term for the San Jose Sharks.