When you live in Las Vegas, you must take a gamble at least once. It doesn't matter if you're at the slot machines or betting on blackjack. If you don't partake in this activity once, what are you doing with your life (PLEASE, for the love of God, gamble responsibly and don't bet your child's college fund)?
That's what the Vegas Golden Knights are doing with Cole Reinhardt, a former Ottawa Senators farmhand. Last season, he played 17 games with Ottawa and scored a goal and an assist. Ultimately, he was sent down to the Belleville Senators, where he scored 14 goals and 18 assists in 45 games.
That sounds promising for the 25-year-old looking to rebound with a new team. The good news? The Golden Knights are the perfect team for rehabbing forgotten players. Names like Victor Olofsson and Tanner Pearson come to mind, making Kelly McCrimmon the "Mr. Fuji" of the NHL.
Yeah, the kid will be alright.
But does the Calgary native have a shot at the main roster this season? Or will he scrambling for a roster spot alongside Tanner Laczynski and other fringe players?
Examining Cole Reinhardt's role with the Vegas Golden Knights for the upcoming season
Obviously, as our friends at SenShot will tell you, the major sticking point with Reinhardt is that he only scored two points during his NHL career. He was deemed unplayable (not really, but in a non-verbal sense) by the organization and didn't get a new deal done.
The result? Voila! He's a Golden Knight now.
The good news is he's a strong defensive player who battles for every puck. He was consistently on the bottom-six for the Belleville Senators and made the necessary defensive plays to keep them afloat.
The 25-year-old is also progressing as an offensive player, showing signs of being a brilliant scorer with Belleville. He also carries upside with him by being a potential bottom-six forward for the Golden Knights.
Still, is that offensive output enough to get him to the big leagues? In this scenario, no. The Golden Knights already have depth pieces such as Raphael Lavoie and Jonas Rondbjerg waiting in the wings, making life even harder. It's likely he'll be on the lower end of the fringe heading into the season.
That's not a bad thing, though! Reinhardt can still make an impact up to the last preseason game. Fans saw that with Tanner Laczynski last season as he fought for the final spot with his fellow Tanner, Tanner Pearson. He could be the underdog that comes through and surprises everyone en route to the last preseason game. It's almost like... you'd want to bet on that.