“He said ‘I’m all in, I want to stay'” | Bill Zito on Reinhart, Free Agency & More

“He said ‘I’m all in, I want to stay'” | Bill Zito on Reinhart, Free Agency & More

how do you how do you process the 168 hours since Sam scores the goal it’s there’s a draft there’s free agency there’s a parade there’s moments with the cup there’s time with your family there’s the enjoyment of that moment I don’t know how you get through all of this um sanely that’s even a word I’m not sure I went into it sely it how just how how much did the add these are great problems to have sure but how much does it add to the difficulty of you’re on this super high high and now you’ve got to make really tough decisions there a lot of the a lot of the contract and Personnel decisions are are contemplated through the year right so you have your pro meetings and the all the different wh if scenarios um there’s there’s curveballs and there’s opportunities presented that you know you hadn’t anticipated um case in point right and present themselves and you know we do a little bit of fantasy hockey um in the what if scenario but for the most part things happen and then you have to react um there are surprises so that part was okay um just a lot of very little time so um maybe one good thing that will come of it is I think we’re becoming more efficient and I thought we were pretty efficient but but there’s the decisions to be made and and um everything happening in a short order uh yesterday was a little surreal you know uh to participate in that uh and see the Aus of Joy um I think it was the sun Sentinels someone read me read me an article uh what was the headline Addie okay it was like perfect six or seven words that anyone could ever come up with to describe the day uh and that was weird because the whole time I’m working like I’m keep looking at my phone I’m looking at my watch I’m uh sorry you had service the quot the title was they one of us Florida Panthers unite Community with unpretentious Stanley Cup Goodwill tour and wasn’t that kind of what it was and uh so I thought that was a really descriptive um really accurate description of the day uh and uh my takea away from that part was probably sounds a little romantic or what have you but I felt like that was the galvanizing moment um for our players and our fans uh the the the runner show ended no one left and everyone just kind of hung out and there were all kinds of people no one even knew who the people were but everyone was happy and smiling and everyone was enjoying the moment um and it reminded me and the risk of overstating things the the relationship that you see in in some of the European soccer clubs and their fans right I just got that feeling uh and it’s very special was there any moments though when you saw us like Brandon Montour doing something or you know guys that Ryan lomberg guys that knew weren’t probably coming back or knew for sure they weren’t like like did you say man I’m going to miss this guy you know for stuff like that or anything of the sort yeah I yeah there’s I’m I’m sure at some point there was right because they’re all people and to be that close and to watch what they did and um their contribution it it’s really hard that’s a it’s not a fun part of the job um it didn’t really hit me in that moment I was more impressed by everybody’s joy and the families and the kids and the neighbors and the and that guy I don’t know who that guy was but he was in a good mood I can tell you that and and he was welcome he was welcome to be part of it sincerely welcom by every one of those players so uh going back to last night you get the Sam Reinhardt deal how like I like how close did you get to the midnight deadline or was was that just kind of overblown was you you guys really negotiating till 12 11:58 was that a thing I don’t even know that’s what they said you had to have the paper because nothing had been out there everyone’s like oh it’s going right down to the water I mean it was it was later um he had a I feel awful like I don’t know all the details but it I it’s something like his best friend you know plan your wedding and yeah for sure it’s over remember the I think the regular schedule said last day of the playoffs was the 21st like yeah we’re safe and um so he W he was not here and um I I don’t know it was not a like it was not a thing for me uh but I will say that um you submit your contract to Central register you dot the eyes and cross the teeth but you make sure like it it okay if there’s an issue they’ll call you back and I fell asleep in the chair waiting uh you know and they only call you back if something’s wrong so it wasn’t a big deal no but it was uh so it wasn’t a last second like no cuz everybody’s like tweeting it been okay well Panthers unless something is already fil so we didn’t know Sam tweeted no no no no all the Insiders all the NHL yeah yeah but we didn’t know because the Central Central didn’t give them the word the know I was hey you can I wouldn’t know I was asleep so so it was so it was done we’re wasting time on that sorry so it was done just it was it’s awesome it’s it’s uh as as both Sam and I said all during the year look we we wanted to keep him he wanted to stay um we worked through the process his agent was was a gentleman everyone was all uh all with the intention of trying to take care of Sam and still have a uh a chance to win and that was Paramount to him and his decision- making and uh and you know respect and happiness on that end and uh yeah we’re just thrilled thrilled that he’s a part of it how difficult was the decision of R there yeah there that’s it’s a it’s a difficult part of the job and it’s easy to say you know oh it’s part of the job and it’s really hard I haven’t I haven’t spoken to him yet I’m trying to to get calls in in between other calls um it’s it’s a big ger thing than I mean in many ways uh you know it’s part of the family all the guys and everybody has a role so it’s it’s hard bill on that though whether it’s Bron mon Ryan lomber Kevin St all these guys come here and they leave getting nice paydays like that just at the same time how happy are you for those guys we saw with Gus last year just what does that say with the organization where guys seem to come here and then whether it’s here or somewhere else they’re getting paid I can tell you like rodco is such a special person that we’re on the ice the guys are saying Goods is texting us congratulations and that that’s and he’s still like all these guys are still a part of things um forever uh it it one of our goals apart from the sort of the family culture with the team in trying to get players to come and trying to get players to fit so we can have as many good players and good people as possible is the chance in the future right to really maximize your career and so hopefully we can keep trying to have guys come have their have that coaching staff pull the best out of them have them be successful as teammates as part of a a team and as individuals so that they can move on so I can go to the next person and say we might not have as much money is whatever other city but we have opportunity and if you take advantage of the opportunity um it’s it’s worked it’s worked well for a lot of people for a guy like kov spends the first half of his career here bounces around a lot afterwards comes back to be able to give him term be able multiple years just for a guy like him to be able to get get get the four years and be able to know he has some stability after how much he’s bounced around the last few years it’s it’s a that that’s almost a statement that lends itself to the we’re trying to get guys to want to be here and and he’s all in he’s all in 100% he he he has a a reasonable number and I suspect he could have had a a better a better Financial picture somewhere else said I’m all in I want to stay and um you know that’s really uh it’s Priceless and to have a commitment from a guy like that with everything that he he leaves out on the ice uh it’s encouraging you still have a couple players that haven’t signed yet some of your free agents stellars teraso whatever not stellars I did it again I do the same thing Lawrence you put a z in the you think you’d say Z they got they came here on the same day um yeah Lawrence anything on those guys we’re we’re working through it and I we haven’t ruled anything out it’s just sort of we get through the process say it’s a strange day um there’s been more discussion at least from our part between and among the teams than ever before so um that’s that’s a different Twist on the on the equation and you got two new forwards um what are your thoughts there um Obviously good numbers but do you think they slot in right on the fourth line or what do you think you know you never just want to say that’s what your limits but what we want to do is keep keep going keep evolving right guys get paid and and everybody knows right it’s I mean just look at look at Tampa right they if you do well you get paid and then you can’t keep everybody and the guys move on and they um so we’re trying to get other people in here who can contribute who are good people who are good team guys and so AJ Greer and uh domas noek um fit in uh they have flexibility they have a little grit they have hockey sense they can play a lot of different roles and uh and that’s what we’re trying to do to grow there I’m sorry is it is it different when you’re calling the team when you’re calling other team you’re talking to other teams is it a different Dynamic when you’re the president GM of the stanle Cup champion as opposed to because in theory those 31 teams are help they’re they’re every one of them is chasing you now and no one’s going to go out of their way to help out the Forida Panthers ever is it difficult to have conversations with teams about what about this guy when I don’t know I mean it it I haven’t noticed it um what you will notice and we do the same thing is is H you’ll hear the phrase another cup in the room right so somebody who knows somebody who’s been through it and and for those of you who were with us through last year um I don’t know is there anybody who doesn’t think that that experience didn’t lend itself to supporting and actually helping this year’s experience and so now you take take these guys and wherever they go wherever they end up you oh we’re in one yeah okay no problem right stay the course like we did it we did it right I know I’ve experienced it it’s not easy it’s not supposed to be easy um so from that standpoint I think that the players become more coveted um and uh I I I don’t know about the the team to team interaction it’s right with the salary cap right now and then the supply and the demand of the players it it’s almost a secondary thing it’s it’s just trying to fit the square into the square hole and you could have a more valuable triangle but you need a square and and it’s uh I tell a story about trades where it’s not always about the trade but it’s about the result so you may have a situation where you you’re in the city and you have a ski chalet in the mountains and your dream is to have your seven best friends come for a ski weekend and they show up and it’s awesome Thursday night you’re going up to ski Friday Saturday Sunday and you have four Maseratis two two guys in each and you’re going and a blizzard comes that’s it your dream can’t go you can’t drive in the snow I don’t know that for sure right they’re they’re race car Maserati that you can’t drive in the snow um and the neighbor says you know I got four SUVs want to trade absolutely and you lost the trade you got killed on the trade right but you had your weekend and so that’s that’s almost where we are now with regard to uh Personnel Acquisitions trades it’s like you’re trying to to put the puzzle together when you talk about putting P together the fact that the majority of your core is under contract going into this how much does that help knowing the base of what you want what you’ve been building is here and you’re like said trying to just round out what you have the value of knowing that you’re not not having to build that Build That Base so to speak yeah I mean it it’s a big head start right so you would say to yourself if if if I can sort of twist your question a little bit if you are not successful in getting every piece that you want to get is it is the train still moving forward right because the core you’ve built will sustain it and um well that’s a hope for sure I I think it’s the case but um we’re still trying to get it right we’re still we’ll never stop trying to get the right pieces and the right people and and plug them in U just got word Joel quinnville has been reinstated yeah um you obvious is it where I think it is it’s on the NHL just released it oh wasn’t an Insider NHL yeah did they say where huh did they say where let’s see no no no no he’s he’s allowed to see he’s reinstated and rehired okay um you were obviously here for all of that just just your thoughts on on Joel being now able to to to take a job somewhere yeah it’s a the the whole situation is delicate um if the league has reached a point where they are comfortable um um it it’s uh trying to choose my my words carefully uh you always want a good result for everybody and and I suspect that that that’s the case I don’t know for sure but I mean you know the man personally that that’s you know yeah as to you yeah so um yeah you always want a good result for everyone Bill were you close to keeping of the guys that left was anybody did you have a shot at keeping any of them or to the what you talked about their value went so high he really didn’t have a chance to keep anybody I don’t know I like the truth I don’t know right but but certainly there was we had envisioned situations where well what if we keep this guy what’s going to happen here what’s what’s likely how how would we do this so there were none of none of the people who left who were like oh yeah you just leave we don’t care was every every decision we made was well if this then we keep these guys so in a perfect world if you said to me could I keep everybody yes right that would that would have been my wish so Bill Anon lundell is another guy that needs a contract but he’s an RFA so you got a a little more flexibility there how have the talks with his Camp been and are they looking for something more longterm or a bridge deal um well I won’t talk about the discussions but Anton’s a guy that um obviously we we we like a lot and um you know we want to keep them here so and this isn’t a contract question but right now with with stellars or Lawrence what going to Toronto um Spencer Knight um the plan right now is Bob and Knight next year uh the way it looks right this second yeah so as is the case with so many of the I guess you could say vacancies or holes where people move forward and move on um particularly on July 1 it’s it’s a fluid situation so I can tell you Sasha he’s in anybody with a no move they’re in I don’t know I mean I I can’t commit to to anybody I can’t commit you know it’s it’s it’s too hard right now um I can tell you and I kind of reference what I just said there’s not a guy that I’m I’d like to get not be here right so but the confence there confidence level with with what he did this year in Charlotte and oh yeah spent two months with you I have confidence in Spence I it’s never never waav thanks everyone thank you thank you hey Bill can I ask you one thing

Panthers GM Bill Zito speaks with media following the first day of NHL Free Agency.

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