Reinbacher Finally Taking Big Steps In Development

Reinbacher has been given a bigger role recently in Laval due to the injury of fellow top defensive prospect Adam Engstrom, and it is turning into a blessing in disguise because it has allowed the 21-year-old Austrian defenseman to show his ability to lead the Rocket at both ends of the ice. In 2 games this past weekend, Reinbacher had a goal and an assist, which is good for a defenseman that isn’t known for his offensive production, but the real stat showing his impact is that he had a +5 rating. A plus-minus rating doesn’t always tell the story of a game. In the case of Reinbacher this weekend, he played a huge factor in why the Rochester Americans didn’t score when he was on the ice by shutting down their offence.

What Reinbacher uses to his advantage to get opposing players off the puck is a mix of his strong skating ability to keep up with them and his 6’3″, 220 lb frame to push his opponents off the puck. This has only been getting better with all the reps that he has been getting down in the AHL. He may not have the skill of your average 5th overall pick, but Reinbacher is slowly developing into a defensive leader on the Rocket. The reality of picking him was always the thought that he could be a piece of the puzzle playing a similar role to someone who is best served to be the defensive anchor alongside a more offensive blueliner. With that being said, the plan for Reinbacher should still be to play alongside someone like Lane Hutson or a veteran like Mike Matheson who can play a solid 2-way game.

The more Reinbacher plays at this point, the closer he is becoming to being NHL-ready, which should take a lot of the flak that he’s received over the years away from him. In fact, if things continue the way they are going, it’s possible that Reinbacher gets himself a shot at the NHL considering how well he’s playing, while both Jayden Struble and Arber Xhekaj struggle to get minutes as the team’s 6th defenseman. The fact that there is such a huge gap between the Habs’ 5th defenseman (Alexandre Carrier) and the two rotating 6th defensemen in ice time gives someone like Reinbacher or Adam Engstrom, once he’s back from injury, a chance to prove that he belongs in the NHL lineup.

It will remain to be seen if Reinbacher gets a chance in the NHL soon, but even Laval Rocket Head Coach Pascal Vincent has mentioned that he believes that the Austrian defenseman has what he needs to be NHL-ready but is just missing one thing before he can play full-time. Vincent said that Reinbacher has the skating ability, the hockey sense, and the right mindset to be an NHL player, but he believes Reinbacher needs to add strength to his body so that he can improve in 1-on-1 battles before he gets to the Canadiens lineup. A lot of this issue is that because he missed so much hockey over the years, he is a little behind physically in his development, but it’s definitely something that he can improve on over the rest of the season and the summer before training camp of 2026-27, where he may be able to carve himself a spot in Montreal.

After a few years of struggling to get his development in the right direction due to injuries and lack of proper opportunity, it seems like Reinbacher’s play is finally heading on the track the Habs were hoping for him. As long as he can stay healthy, he may be able to prove himself to the Habs brass that he’s NHL-ready sooner than later.

Do you think Reinbacher should be given a chance to show what he can do in the NHL as soon as this season, or should they wait until training camp to give him his first opportunity?