What Are Realistic Expectations For Reinbacher

Reinbacher is a solid defensive prospect but he doesn’t have the offensive game that would normally be associated with being a top 5 pick. Boisvert mentioned that the fact that he was a 5th overall pick has hurt many people’s perspectives of him. However, both Boisvert and Guimond agree, the Reinbacher pick will be a success if he can become a 35-40 point guy who can be a minute-eating shutdown defenseman.  

Boisvert has a great point when it comes to Reinbacher, too many fans have criticized him for what he is not. However, not every top 5 pick needs to be a flashy points producer and sometimes a solid defensive defenseman is worth more, as he will be the guy who shuts down the other teams’ top players. Reinbacher still has some good offensive intangibles like his smooth skating ability, hard shot, and he is underrated in his stick handling. 

Reinbacher’s biggest issue on the offensive side of the game seems to be his overall offensive awareness, but when he has offensive partners with guys like Adam Engstrom or Lane Hutson, that can easily be forgiven, as he will leave the puck handling to them. The Austrian defenseman is close to being ready for the NHL, but another year in the AHL will do him wonders in getting him ready to be the version of the shutdown defenseman that he is expected to be. A full healthy season is likely what he needs this year after having two seasons where he struggled with injuries and also bad coaching decisions in the Swiss National League. Essentially, Reinbacher finally needs a year where no interruption sets him back in his development.

Even though Chase Yoder made Reinbacher look silly on a play on Saturday night, aside from that, he looked very solid in the defensive zone. Even against the Leafs there wasn’t any really alarming issue regarding his defensive game as a whole. Sure, he got beaten a few times but he wasn’t destroyed the way some fans on social media mentioned.

Thankfully, at age 21, he is far from being a finished product and will continue to improve immensely over the next few years. Let’s not forget that during last year’s AHL playoffs series against the Charlotte Checkers, he was by far the best player. While it may not mean much given the team got swept but he looked great at both ends of the ice as he shut down the Checkers’ top players, while also showing his big point shot. Truthfully, during his whole limited season in Laval, he looked strong for the most part, so in reality, he has played about 30 good games in the AHL.

Hopefully, he can pick up where he left off and gain more confidence in his game, and we get to see him add more physicality to his arsenal, which will only make him a better player defensively.

I believe that one healthy season in Laval will be enough for him to officially become an NHL defenseman that can play in the top 4 alongside an offense defenseman phenom like Lane Hutson. Reinbacher is heading for a trajectory where he will be a right-shot Kaiden Guhle in the future if he pans out.

Would you be happy with Reinbacher becoming a similar defenseman to Kaiden Guhle, or do you expect more from him?