David Reinbacher’s pro career hasn’t been straightforward since he was drafted fifth overall by the Montreal Canadiens in 2023. The fanbase was dreaming of Matvei Michkov’s offensive flair, and instead, the Habs picked an Austrian defenseman most had never heard of. Ivan Demidov’s selection a year later helped quiet those who were still being vocal about Montreal’s need for pure offensive talent.
Unfortunately, that didn’t do anything to keep him away from injuries, and he had to deal with two knee injuries, one to start the 2023-24 season in Switzerland and the other in a preseason game between the Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs at the start of the 2024-25 season. The latter being serious and necessitating surgery. He returned at the tail end of the 2024-25 season with the Laval Rocket and played in the playoffs.
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The hope was that he would shine at this year’s training camp and finally be able to show what he could do without any more setbacks, but life is sometimes cruel, and in another preseason game against Toronto, he broke a bone in his hand. After being sidelined for four weeks, he returned to action on Friday night with the Laval Rocket against the Rochester Americans.
So far, he’s only played 23 regular-season games with the Rockets spread over three seasons. There’s little doubt that he needs more seasoning before making his debut in the NHL with the Canadiens. There’s no reason to rush the prospect, even with Kaiden Guhle sidelined. The Habs blueline is coping well, and if another injury were to happen, Adam Engstrom would probably be the first call-up, having impressed at camp.
Reinbacher’s debut on Friday night was quiet, and he didn’t get on the scoresheet in Laval’s 2-1 loss to Rochester and spent two minutes in the box on a hooking call. As for his second game, it went as well as could be expected for a defenseman who’s still shaking off the rust after not playing for four weeks. In a 5-2 Rocket win over the Americans, he picked up an assist on Jared Davidson’s power play goal and was assessed a two-minute roughing penalty.
When he’s ready to make the jump to the NHL, the Canadiens will finally be able to ice a lineup with three right-shot defensemen, something they haven’t been able to do in quite some time. It will allow Lane Hutson to go back to his natural side, and if his development goes according to plan, he should land in the Habs top-four, raising the level of an already very good blueline. In 12 games, the Canadiens defense corps has already put up 35 points, second only to the Ottawa Senators’ defense with 37 points.
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