There were countless rumours surrounding the Montreal Canadiens leading up to the NHL Draft’s first round on Wednesday. Nobody knew for sure what they were going to do, but they ultimately decided to stay at pick number five and draft Austrian defenseman David Reinbacher. And with no other transactions, the Canadiens walked away from the first round with Reinbacher and Alex Newhook, who they traded for the previous day.
If you told Canadiens fans, after all the rumours and hype, that this was what they would do, I think many would be disappointed. I myself was hoping the Canadiens didn’t use the fifth pick on David Reinbacher, but clearly, Kent Hughes doesn’t read my stuff. In all seriousness, this is a tough pill to swallow.
I’ll say it one last time, picking anyone but Michkov (or the other top four of they fall) is a mistake.
— Ryan Praught (@RyanPraught) June 28, 2023
Otherwise…
If there are good deals on the table, for which it certainly sounds like there is, they have to trade back.
Reinbacher is a talented defenseman, a solid player, but the Canadiens had a real chance to draft an offensive star in Matvei Michkov and balked. Instead, they opted for a right-shot defenseman who has the makings to be really solid in the NHL. The disappointment does not stem from Reinbacher, but rather from passing on Michkov and failing to recuperate assets spent on Newhook, despite as many as five trade offers to move down. Clearly, the Canadiens saw something they liked in Reinbacher and were unwilling to miss out on drafting him.
And that would be fine, but this is a movie Habs fans have seen too many times before. It’s a road that many fans would likely prefer not to go down again. Fans are starved for offensive superstars, this was a real chance to get one, and now there’s uncertainty as to when this opportunity will arise again.
Now make no mistake, Reinbacher is a good player, one that will likely be a solid NHLer for a very long time. You could do a lot worse than him here, but the worry is what you miss out on. Reinbacher isn’t likely to win a Norris, nor will he ever be recognized as one of the best defensemen in the NHL, even if he reaches his full potential. But he’ll be really good in your top four and help your team win some games. But that should be the bare minimum from a fifth overall pick; anything less is a failure.
This, in addition to the trade for Alex Newhook, feels underwhelming, opting to bank on more sure things as opposed to upside. It makes me wonder where the offense needed to win is going to come from? Because the offensive core as it is right now just isn’t good enough, as harsh as they may sound. In order to win in the NHL, you need elite offensive talent, and I don’t think Newhook moves the needle.
Time will tell how this all works out for the Canadiens; I don’t think many will be looking at Reinbacher as a bad pick in a few years but rather as a safe one. He’ll be a rock on the blueline, and if, in a few years, Matvei Michkov doesn’t pan out, we might forget all about the “safe” aspect. That being said, there is no room for error with this pick. It has to work out, and it has to work out well.
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