Maurice jokingly tries to fend off UFA suitors for Reinhart

Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice has never been one to shy away from a chance at some light humor.

In the middle of a glowing review for pending unrestricted free-agent forward Sam Reinhart, Maurice quickly realized he may be talking up the 50-goal-scorer too much.

"He never cheats the game. Not once. He's really good ... unless you're trying to sign him as a free agent, in which case there's a little attitude problem, and he's hard to deal with," Maurice said, according to team reporter Jameson Olive.

Reinhart's career year has put him in line to cash in as a UFA this summer. The 28-year-old has registered 50 goals and 83 points in 71 games. He leads all NHL skaters with 27 power-play goals, five shorthanded goals, and a 25.8 shooting percentage.

Reinhart's previous career highs in goals and points were 33 and 82, respectively.

The Panthers will certainly hope to keep Reinhart, who's been an excellent fit since the Buffalo Sabres traded him to Florida in 2021. The club projects to have $20 million in cap space this summer, but it has several other pending free agents, including defenseman Brandon Montour as a UFA and forward Anton Lundell as an RFA.