The Battle for a Spot on the 3rd Pairing Will Be Interesting

Now, if both players struggle to show that they deserve the role as the 6th defenseman, Reinbacher will be waiting in the wings to steal a spot from the two NHL defensemen. 

There is no way that Reinbacher will be the 7th defenseman, so to get a spot on the roster to open the season, he will need to be in a role where he plays every night and develops into eventually becoming the top-4 defenseman he was drafted to be. While some may think it’s a long shot after missing almost an entire regular season, Reinbacher did prove to be the most reliable defenseman during the playoffs for the Laval Rocket last season. He is definitely close to NHL-ready if he isn’t already, which could mean that changes will need to be made very soon to the Canadiens’ defensive core.

If Reinbacher has an amazing camp and plays similarly to the way he played as a solid 2-way defenseman in last year’s AHL playoffs, he may force their hand at making a trade or an unexpected move earlier than planned.

This could mean someone like Mike Matheson gets moved to make room for all three on the roster, or it could also end up with Struble getting traded. The original plan seems to be that Matheson will finish his contract with the Habs, but that could change if someone like Reinbacher breaks on the roster.

As for Arber Xhekaj, it wouldn’t make sense for the Habs to trade him, as his grit and toughness are unique, as nobody else on the roster can bring toughness to that level. When Xhekaj plays, he makes his teammates feel bigger because he acts as a protector if a bad hit occurs. He is a type of player that a team needs within their entourage to be successful and not get pushed around.

In reality, he is more valuable as a defenseman on the team than getting a 2nd round pick for his services. However, that doesn’t mean he will play each game as if the enforcer type isn’t needed for a game; it can be better to go with the player who is more solid defensively. If he proves to be the best defenseman overall out of the three guys to start the year, that’s even better, but last season, he did have some really rough patches. Here is hoping it’s the end of those defensive lapses and he is solid during camp. 

Even though it’s a role lower in the lineup, this battle between Struble, Xhekaj and Reinbacher will be one of the most intriguing to watch when training camp starts in just over two weeks.

Who do you see as the Habs’ 6th defenseman on opening night against the Toronto Maple Leafs?