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Impact Of Reinbacher Injury On Canadiens Roster Construction

Originally posted on Montreal Hockey Now | By Marc Dumont | Last updated Oct 1, 2024 12:03 PM ET

The Montreal Canadiens have offered an update as to the injury status of defensive prospect David Reinbacher.

The 19-year-old necessitated a surgical intervention to repair his right knee, which was injured in the first period of Saturday’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The recovery period is expected to be five to six months.

Reinbacher’s injury didn’t look particularly serious at first, as the contact he took wasn’t overly violent, but it did lead him to landing awkwardly on his knee, which forced him to leave the game after just 13 seconds of ice time.

This didn’t look like a lot of contact, but Reinbacher left the game in a lot of pain after this play.#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/oMgLy28Dfe

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) September 28, 2024

Obviously this is a highly disappointing situation for a young player who was hoping to put a difficult 2023-24 season behind him. Reinbacher’s time with EHC Kloten last year was the epitome of a lost development year, however, he did play quite well once he arrived in North America and featured in a handful of games for the Canadiens’ AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket. He even managed to score a goal in his first game, a very nice play that reminded everyone Reinbacher can make a positive impact when his confidence is overflowing.

It’s also quite concerning that he’s dealing with yet another lower-body injury at such a young age, as Reinbacher was forced to miss time in the NL last season, which derailed the start to his season.

On Topic: Canadiens Roster And Depth Chart – Job Openings Following Laine and Reinbacher Injuries

The fallout of the injury is simple, there are now very few defencemen in the running to fill out the remainder of the lineup. Depending on whether the Canadiens run with seven or eight defencemen this year, there will either be one or two defensive positions available as the team decides upon its final roster, with players such as Logan Mailloux, Adam Engstrom, and Jayden Struble vying for the final spots.

The Habs open the season on October 8, at Bell Centre, facing their longtime Ontario rivals, the Toronto Maple Leafs.

This article first appeared on Montreal Hockey Now and was syndicated with permission.

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