Montreal Canadiens: Watch David Reinbacher Show Off His Mean Streak

Montreal Canadiens prospect David Reinbacher has been referred to as many different things, with the fifth overall selection of the Habs sitting atop the list.

If you skip down one or two spots, no lower than the fifth most popular thing that he has been called, you will find that he isn’t overly physical. That is unless he has to be, and his opponent found that out the hard way during a Swiss NL league game.

Reinbacher stood beside Nathan Beaulieu, and after Reinbacher manhandled his opponent, Beaulieu stepped in to help. It was a great moment for two reasons, it’s nostalgic seeing Beaulieu and Reinbacher is the more physical of the two. Number two Beaulieu is 6’2” and 200 lbs, and Reinbacher appears to tower over his defensive partner.

A smooth skater with solid puck skills, and great lateral mobility who is still maturing, that describes Reinbacher pretty accurately. He can create offence and his vision fuels his playmaking, while he challenges defenders with his combination of size and speed with open ice. He also has a solid shot, but we haven’t seen much physicality from him, mostly because it’s a less physical style of hockey in Europe, skill and strong skating take precedence over the rough stuff.

That’s not to say that Reinbacher won’t be more of a physical player in the NHL, he is a big kid. The 18-year-old is nearly 6’4”, and 215 lbs, and he is learning how to play physically and handle bigger, stronger opponents.

I still don’t expect him to be a physical menace like Arber Xhekaj for example. However, it’s promising to see that he has no issue getting his hands dirty, while still impacting the game with his skating and smart decision-making, kind of like Kaiden Guhle. Offensively it’s tough to gauge what he will become, but he is poised at the blue line, with his head up constantly scanning, and presenting as a shooting threat.

The tools and package are intriguing, and it’s easy to see why Reinbacher was the number one-ranked defenseman for the 2024 Draft class. But some still question the Canadiens decision to select a defenseman, with so many offensive players available. Especially when the offence needs pure shooters, who project to make an impact with guys like Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Kirby Dach (when he is healthy).

Right-shot defensemen are highly coveted, just look at the impact that Cale Makar and Moritz Seider have had on their teams. That’s not to suggest that Reinbacher is or ever will reach their level, but their teams are happy with the selection. Some other examples are David Jiricek and Simon Nemec, who both the Columbus Blue Jackets and New Jersey Devils will welcome to the big clubs with open arms when they are ready.

A big right-shot defenseman who is defensively stout, while still growing and maturing sounds like a solid piece for the Canadiens to add. Now when you consider that he has not looked out of place playing against men in the Swiss NL, before the draft, Hughes took notice of what Columbus and New Jersey did in 2022. Reinbacher is going to be all right, and his growth over this season and next will be fun to watch, especially if he doesn’t shy away from the rough stuff.

He has handled himself exceptionally well for an 18-year-old in a professional men’s league. The Austrian has been away from home, and this caused him to have to grow and mature sooner than other younger players who stay closer to home. Character, size and skill, the package is there, and he isn’t far off from playing for the Canadiens very soon.

Don’t touch his goalie or teammates though, or else he will be in the middle of the pile directing traffic with his fists.