Montreal Canadiens prospect David Reinbacher was the team’s fifth-overall pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. Reinbacher filled a positional need for the Canadiens, who were seeking a physical, shut-down, right-shot defenceman. However, early in his career, he faced several injuries that seemingly hindered his development. The Canadiens top defensive prospect struggled in this year’s rookie showcase and in his pre-season debut. This has left Montreal fans worried as the team recently traded another right-shot prospect. Logan Mailloux was traded to St. Louis for Zachary Bolduc in favour of keeping Reinbacher. What is David Reinbacher’s value to the Montreal Canadiens moving forward, and should fans be looking to press the panic button?
Montreal Canadiens David Reinbacher Career Thus Far
After being selected by Montreal, Reinbacher returned to his native Switzerland to play for Kloten in the Swiss League. This proved to be a poor environment for the youngster as the team struggled and went through a carousel of head coaches. These factors, combined with an injury, saw him have a worse campaign than he did in his draft year for Kloten. Habs general manager Kent Hughes would then bring Reinbacher over to North America for the 2024-25 campaign. He signed his ELC in 2023, but after a year of poor development, it was expected he would spend a full year in the AHL with Laval. However, a pre-season injury derailed those hopes.
Reinbacher missed the majority of the 2024-25 season, as he and Patrik Laine were both taken out in the first pre-season game. He would undergo knee surgery that kept him out of action until February. Upon his return, he put up five points in ten games with Laval. He also managed six points in 13 games with the club. Reinbacher showed some inevitable rust, but it seemed he was finally back on track in his development.
Montreal Canadiens Fans Worried About Reinbacher
Reinbacher has shown some cause for concern in his brief start to the season. It’s hard to judge a player on training camp alone. However, the early returns haven’t been great thus far in the lead-up to the season. During the rookie showcase, intrasquad, and preseason, Reinbacher has looked like a shell of the player he was projected to be. His composure, decision-making, and shutdown ability were the attributes that initially drew the Canadiens to him. However, he seems timid with the puck, his breakout passes and decision-making have been lacklustre, and he is constantly losing board battles and getting beaten one-on-one.
Expectations are obviously higher for a player who is drafted in the top five of any draft class. However, Reinbacher always seemed like a reach for Montreal as they aimed to fill a positional need. Players drafted below him, like Matvei Michkov, Ryan Leonard, and Zach Benson, are already impact NHL players. Many hoped Reinbacher could challenge for a roster spot as soon as this season, but that doesn’t appear to be the case.
David Reinbacher in 2025-26 and Beyond
It’s apparent that Reinbacher won’t make the Canadiens out of training camp. The addition of Noah Dobson in the offseason leaves little room in the defence core. Lane Hutson, Kaiden Guhle, Alexandre Carrier, and Mike Matheson all have secured roles on the team. Arber Xhekaj and Jayden Struble occupy the final two spots, and at this stage, Reinbacher is leaps and bounds behind them.
As for his future with Montreal, it’s way too early to give up on him, especially with how little he has played since his draft year. However, he needs a full, healthy year of development in Laval. Montreal could potentially have a deadly top-four group in the future. Mike Matheson and Alex Carrier are unlikely to be on the team long-term. This opens up the door for Reinbacher. The expectation since he was drafted was that he would be the future defensive partner for Lane Hutson. When you add Kaiden Guhle and Noah Dobson to the mix, you have a formidable top four group. However, it all ultimately hinges on David Reinbacher’s development. It’s too early to push the panic button, but if he doesn’t pan out, Montreal’s biggest need could soon be a right-shot defenceman. Should the Canadiens have kept Logan Mailloux over David Reinbacher? Only time will tell.
Main Photo Credit Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
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