Montreal Canadiens fans don’t get a lot of breaking news in the month of August, so here at A Winning Habit, we’ll be counting down our picks for the top 31 prospects currently in the Habs organization. Each player was carefully deliberated by our writers and ranked accordingly. Today, we’re onto the 2nd ranked player, David Reinbacher.
The Canadiens selected Reinbacher with the fifth overall pick in this year’s draft, much to the chagrin of many Canadiens fans. But make no mistake, Reinbacher is an excellent prospect for the Canadiens. He spent last season in the Swiss National League, the same league Auston Matthews played in during his draft year.
There, Reinbacher had 22 points in 46 games, which is really solid production for a draft-eligible prospect. Because of his performance here, as well as a solid showing for Austria at the World Juniors, he rose up the rankings. By the time the draft rolled around, he was considered by many to be the draft’s best defenseman and was ultimately the first one taken.
The Canadiens have yet to decide where Reinbacher will play next season, and he’ll likely get a shot during the pre-season to make the team. But there’s a decent chance he’ll head back to Switzerland for another year to continue his development.
Hutson’s skill level and vision complement Reinbacher’s OZ pinches to perfection. This could help develop some better on-puck habits for Reinbacher, who still needs time and space to make plays with the puck. More high-danger puck touches ➡️ more offensive exploration. 2/6
— Hadi Kalakeche (@HadiK_Scouting) July 4, 2023
When you talk about Reinbacher, the things that stand out about his game are great tools to have for any defenseman. He has a good frame, standing at 6’2″, though he could add more weight (muscle), and he puts that size to good use. He’s physical, but not at the trade-off of skating ability; he can really move. And he’s great with the puck on his stick, capable of making smart, simple reads, and contributing offensively. He’s also got a great shot, one that will be useful from the point in the NHL.
He is, by most measures, a prototypical two-way defenseman. He’s steady defensively, but he can also contribute offensively, not afraid to make an aggressive pinch or join the rush when he needs to. And despite being 18 years old, he’s battle-tested, playing a ton of minutes for EHC Kloten, his team in Switzerland. Most draft-eligible players don’t get to play a lot in Europe, but Reinbacher had a top-four role with his team.
The questions in his game come on the offensive side and how it will translate to the NHL. Yes, he put up a lot of points in Switzerland, but that came on a bigger ice where there was more time and space. Most question if Reinbacher has the offensive creativity most want from a top-pairing defenseman, namely a number one defenseman. That’ll be something he needs to work on, which might make Laval a better destination for him, as he’ll have less time and space to make plays with the puck.
He’s no slouch offensively. Even with little development, he will likely be a solid contributor, but if he wants to take the next step in his game, this is where that improvement needs to come from. It could be the difference between a 30-point player and a 50 to 60-point player.
But if you pair Reinbacher with someone like Lane Hutson, a very creative offensive defenseman, they might complement each other really well. They would both play to each other’s strengths and allow their partner to play accordingly. That could be a very strong pairing for the Canadiens for the foreseeable future, and if Reinbacher can develop his offensive game more, the sky is the limit.
At worst, Reinbacher looks like a solid top-four, right-shot defenseman. Realistically, even with development, he’ll likely never be in the Norris conversation, but he’ll be very good. Some have compared him to that of Mo Seider, a comparison that, if true, should make Canadiens fans very happy. Those would be big shoes to fill, but Reinbacher certainly has the chops to do it.
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