David Reinbacher may not have entered training camp expecting to make the opening-night roster, but with injuries, there's a real chance he can, and he showed he's capable in the first pre-season game.
MONTREAL - Traditionally, defensemen have taken longer to develop than forwards in the NHL. So the idea that David Reinbacher is staring down Father Time is not a serious one.
But as the fifth overall pick in the 2023 draft, the Montreal Canadiens prospect is technically still that: A prospect, with two games of NHL service and a 22nd birthday coming up in a month.
Injuries have held him back, though now - cosmically - an injury to Montreal blueliner Kaiden Guhle has given Reinbacher a great opportunity to stick with the big squad out of training camp. Many eyes are on the Austrian youngster, but he's unfazed by the spotlight.
"Pressure? I don't think there's pressure," Reinbacher said. "I'm just coming in every day enjoying myself and having fun. I mean, I get to do what I love."
Which is nice, since he missed nearly all of the 2024-25 season after knee surgery following a pre-season injury. Adversity is a cornerstone of hockey, but it's not much fun when you're just starting your career and suddenly you're laid up for five months and can't develop at a crucial age.
"Mentally, you're in a different spot," Reinbacher said. "You have to have that working-hard mindset: Not giving up. Standing up every day and working for your dream."
The fact that he's been to training camp a few times now has helped his confidence this fall, though Reinbacher isn't taking anything for granted.
"I wouldn't say there's comfort - I'm still working hard every day, so there are no comfort days right now," he said. "But for sure it's a little easier now, getting to know all the guys and knowing what's coming. That makes life a bit easier. But at the end of the day, I have to show them I'm ready to take a spot here."
That would be fantastic for all parties involved. The Habs, of course, are coming off a run to the Eastern Conference final, and expectations will be higher this season because of that. On an individual level, Reinbacher has seen several defensemen from his draft class play much more NHL hockey than he has, including Vancouver Canucks' Tom Willander (11th overall) and Detroit Red Wings' Axel Sandin-Pellikka (17th overall).
Reinbacher was highly coveted in his draft year as part of a class that, objectively, did not have a truly elite blueline prospect available. There were no Matthew Schaefers or Landon DuPonts to fawn over.
Allegedly, several franchises were willing to trade up to snag Reinbacher, but Montreal held fast and got their man, passing on forwards such as Matvei Michkov and Ryan Leonard in the process. Maybe that's all outside noise, but Reinbacher still wants to make his own impact and spent the summer getting stronger and improving his skating.
Ideally, the big rearguard will find his niche as a shutdown defenseman who can maybe chip in some offense. Reinbacher said he doesn't want to do anything fancy or change his game right now, and he's been focusing on his defensive game.
"Shrinking the time for forwards," he said. "Closing the gaps, making good plays, killing plays, playing hard - that was a huge development last year that I hope to bring out again this year."
He can also build on the two-game stint he got with the big club last season after playing the rest of the campaign in the AHL with Laval. Reinbacher remarked on the NHL's challenging speed and noted that his teammates' better organization made things easier.
"You get more confidence in yourself, a bit more swagger going out there knowing you've played some games and got over that first feeling," he said. "Now I have to show that I'm ready for not just two games, but a full season."
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