Sam Reinhart Injury: Why did Florida Panthers forward exit Game 2 early? 

Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart was forced to exit Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals early after sustaining a lower-body injury on Thursday.

The incident occurred in the first period when Reinhart made a pass near the neutral zone and was clipped by Carolina Hurricanes' Sebastian Aho. The center made contact with Reinhart's left leg which caused him to fall. Reinhart appeared to be in pain while making his way to the bench.

Florida announced that Sam Reinhart would not return to the remainder of the game while no penalty was called on the play.

Reinhart returned for one brief 12-second shift late in the first period but did not come back out for the start of the second. Later, Florida announced that he would not return to the remainder of the game.

The Panthers went on to win 5-0 against the Hurricanes. Sam Bennett (two goals), Matthew Tkachuk, Gustav Forsling and Aleksander Barkov scored for the Panthers."

Injury Update: Dr. Harjas Grewal examines Sam Reinhart’s status

Doctor Harjas Grewal provided an analysis of Reinhart's injury, saying the main concern is an MCL injury. Depending on the severity, he could miss significant time.

A grade 1 MCL sprain may just keep him day-to-day, while a grade 2 sprain usually requires 4-6 weeks of recovery. A grade 3 MCL tear could sideline Reinhart for months and sometimes require surgery. A torn ACL is also possible which would likely shelve Reinhart for 5+ months.

"Concern is an MCL injury for Reinhart. Time off depends on grade Grade 1: day-to-day, Grade 2: 4-6 weeks, Grade 3: months out and rarely even surgical. Less likely but also possible is a torn ACL (5+ months out)" Grewal said on X/Twitter.

Coach Paul Maurice said the team does not have a definitive update yet on Reinhart's status.

"We'll get him looked at tomorrow. So, Saturday I'll have something (an update) for you," Maurice said.

He played only 5:37 over eight shifts before exiting Game 2. Prior to the injury, Reinhart was having a strong playoff run with 11 points in 14 postseason games. He was also productive in the regular season, notching 81 points in 79 games.