Montreal Canadiens Role Profiles: David Reinbacher

Unfortunately, the second game was more of a challenge, as he got beaten by Philadelphia Flyers forwards on numerous occasions, but it gave him experience on how he can improve his game for the NHL in the future. It’s only normal for a young player to have growing pains along the way as he establishes himself as an NHL player; those coverage issues that came from his second game won’t disappear overnight. However, adjusting his game to limit those mistakes is what will matter most for Reinbacher going forward.

This year’s camp will be a great chance for Reinbacher to show that he took the lessons that came from his first two games in the league, which could allow him to force the Montreal Canadiens to make room for him on the backend as the third right-handed defenseman on the roster. As it stands, there are really only five defensemen on the Canadiens who have their spot secured, leaving a spot as the sixth defenseman open for someone like Reinbacher or Adam Engstrom. Right now, Jayden Struble and Arber Xhekaj have the inside track to keep the sixth and seventh defenseman spots on the team, due to their experience, but both could be passed on the depth chart if they get outplayed by either of the defensive prospects.

In Reinbacher’s case, if he can’t make the NHL right away, it isn’t a big deal, as at 21 years old, he still has a few years of development to reach his prime, not to mention he’s really only had one full year of development without the interruption of injuries setting him back. This is why, for next season, the most important thing for Reinbacher is to manage to stay healthy for a full season. If he can do that, there is a good chance he will take serious strides in becoming the big shutdown defenseman that is needed next to a superstar like Lane Hutson.

Reinbacher may not play in the NHL right away, but he is still on track to be an important piece to the Montreal Canadiens’ success in the near future.

With that being said, earlier this summer my colleague JD Lagrange wrote a great piece on Reinbacher’s development and how he is the type of player needed to win championships. Lagrange also stated that Reinbacher still has time on his side to develop and that a player like him may take longer to make the NHL, but it will be worth it when he finally does. The truth is, a 6-foot-4, two-right-handed defenseman with legit top-four potential is hard to find, and the Canadiens will need to do everything in their power to make sure that he is, in fact, ready before sending him out on a nightly basis to play in the best league in the world.

Nobody can say that Reinbacher’s development has gone the way that they hoped when he was drafted fifth in 2023, but it’s too early to throw in the towel on the big Austrian defenseman. This upcoming year will be a big one for Reinbacher, who will surely get more playing time in the NHL with an opportunity to remain full-time. The expectation for Reinbacher’s 2026-27 season should be to play at least 15 games on the right side of the Canadiens blueline as they attempt to integrate him into becoming a full-time NHLer throughout the season.

Do you believe that Reinbacher will become a regular with the Montreal Canadiens at some point during the 2026-27 season?

In case you missed it, check out our Montreal Canadiens Roles Profile on forward Florian Xhekaj.