David Reinbacher: 'I hope he had a good summer'

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David Reinbacher: 'I hope he had a good summer'

Originally posted on Dose.ca | Last updated Aug 25, 2026 1:36 PM ET

Three years ago, David Reinbacher was drafted by the Canadiens.

At the time, we thought that three years later, he'd be a regular in the NHL… but that's not the case. Injuries, in particular, have changed the situation.

But you already knew that.

Naturally, we don't know what lies ahead for Reinbacher this fall. He'll undoubtedly want to earn a full-time spot with the Canadiens, but it's unclear whether he'll be able to do so as early as next month.

He'll certainly get his chance, but the blue line is crowded. He'll also have to perform well and stay healthy.

On that note, Francis Bouillon (who works in player development for the Canadiens) says the young man is hungry and truly wants to earn his spot in the NHL.

He doesn't want to spend several more years in the AHL.

According to Robidas and Bouillon, competition on defense will be fiercer than everhttps://t.co/G8bfLZsi6m

— RDS (@RDSca) August 25, 2026

As reported by Éric Leblanc (RDS) in an article on the subject, Bouillon feels that Reinbacher is on the right track, having improved over the course of the 2025–2026 season.

He feels that Reinbacher is receptive (in terms of doing what he needs to do to break through) and hopes the young player has done his homework during the offseason.

“I hope he had a good summer; we'll see at training camp.” – Francis Bouillon on David Reinbacher

I absolutely don't think we should read any doubt into Bouillon's comments. I see him as a Canadiens employee who has the young player's success at heart and who genuinely hopes to see him take it to the next level.

And let's be honest: the Canadiens need to see him take that next step. Because if he plays to his full potential, it'll take some pressure off the team's GM.

In a nutshell

– This saga just never ends.

The saga is coming to an end. https://t.co/TeOFc8VA7q https://t.co/OnDeWBEHSH

— Passion MLB (@passion_mlb) August 25, 2026

– More and more people in town.

Josh Anderson and Mike Matheson are back in Brossard this morning.

Several other players are also here, including Ivan Demidov, Lane Hutson, Phillip Danault, Jake Evans, David Reinbacher, Alexandre Carrier, Owen Beck, and Jayden Struble, as well as the three goaltenders:… pic.twitter.com/Xl47MxHLa6

— Patrick Guillet (@PatGuillet) August 25, 2026

– Good question.

Is there a team in the NHL better at identifying high-character players than the #GoHabsGo? #thesickpodcast @TonyMarinaro @BWildeMTL pic.twitter.com/fPzBse9ftH

— The Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro (@thesickpodcasts) August 25, 2026

– Makes sense.

The Habs want to sign Hage as soon as possible. Their preference was for him to make the jump to the pros as early as spring 2026.

Based on that logic, there's no reason to believe Hage wouldn't join the Habs for the final stretch of the 2026–2027 season. https://t.co/NNqjL8cBzs

— Nicolas Cloutier (@NCloutierTVA) August 25, 2026

– More teams in the playoffs?

Bill Daly: I think certainly an argument can be made that once you're over 32 franchises, you're looking at maybe an expanded playoffs of some sort – via Chris Johnston, The Athletic (8/22)
____
NHLRR: The NHL under Gary Bettman has resisted calls for playoff expansion, but…

— NHL Rumor Report (@NHLRumorReport) August 25, 2026

This article first appeared on Dose.ca and was syndicated with permission.

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