Lariviere: Window Seems Open For David Reinbacher

Montreal Canadiens prospect David Reinbacher has a prime opportunity to make the team’s blueline straight out of camp. While the news earlier this week that defenseman Kaiden Guhle will miss the next 4-5 weeks recovering from off-season surgery is bad news for the Canadiens, it is a chance for Reinbacher to break into the lineup. 

The 2023 fifth overall pick seems to realize that and seems poised to seize the opportunity.

When asked by reporters on Friday why he believes that he is NHL ready, Reinbacher gave a simple, but confident answer. 

“Why am I ready? You guys are gonna see on the weekend,” Reinbacher told reporters. 

“I see myself as a shutdown defenseman, but still can play two ways. My priority is on the defensive side, killing plays and making life hard for the other guys out there.”

David Reinbacher was initially expected to have a hard uphill battle to make the Montreal Canadiens out of camp, but thanks to the Guhle news, his route to being part of the team’s lineup has gotten easier. There are currently six healthy NHL regulars on the Montreal Canadiens blueline at training camp, and considering that NHL teams usually have seven defensemen on a roster for most of the season, there is a spot opening for the taking, and Reinbacher is one of the top candidates. The only other realistic option for that opening spot on the blueline is prospect Adam Engstrom. 

Through the first two days of training camp, the duo has been paired together, making it a very interesting battle between the Montreal Canadiens’ top two defensive prospects. Although Engstrom has had more experience and looked better at the AHL level, he doesn’t have nearly the potential that Reinbacher has. On top of that, Reinbacher’s style of play resembles Guhle’s game more closely than Engstrom’s does. Therefore, the Canadiens could see Reinbacher as the better fit between the two defenders.

Still, getting a spot on the Montreal Canadiens roster won’t be easy, as Reinbacher will have a lot to prove over the next 10 days of training camp. It also seems like head coach Martin St. Louis is expecting the 21-year-old to give a good push for a spot on the Canadiens.

“For a young defenseman like him, he needs to keep getting stronger. He has size, he’s putting on weight, and his hockey brain is very good,” St. Louis told the media on Thursday.

“We have a pretty deep D-corps right now, so he’s had to get a lot of his reps in Laval. For him, it’s just to keep knocking on the door and keep pushing. He has all the tools, and he’s going to keep pushing,” St. Louis continued.  

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 206 pounds, Reinbacher is a big right-handed defenseman who has all the tools needed to be a top-four defenseman in the NHL. He is arguably the Canadiens’ right-handed version of Guhle, who is also 6-foot-3 and 213 pounds. Similarly to Guhle, Reinbacher can bring physicality on a nightly basis and outmuscle opposing forwards in front of the net. However, there is one area of Reinbacher’s game that could be the reason he makes the Canadiens out of camp.

As mentioned in the Montreal Canadiens Prospects Series, Reinbacher excels the most in his ability to cut off opposing forwards on the rush along the boards. With his big frame, the Austrian defender can force his opponents into turning the puck over along the wall. He has yet to show that physical advantage over his opponents at the NHL level just yet, but with more reps it should be something that translates over well from the AHL.

While his game in his own zone is the priority, Reinbacher can put up his fair share of offence. Last year with the Laval Rocket, Reinbacher put up a solid five goals and 24 points in 57 AHL games, showing that he brings a good two-way game. Although, with Lane Hutson and Noah Dobson each running a power play unit, while Mike Matheson would be the third option in case of injury, Reinbacher shouldn’t be relied upon much for his offence in Montreal. Nonetheless, Reinbacher can use his solid skating and good first-pass abilities to create offensive chances up ice. It will be interesting to see how that part of his game progresses over time, but it likely won’t be much of a factor in whether or not he makes the team.