David Reinbacher returns to battle against the Toronto Marlies

In David Reinbacher's return to the Laval Rocket lineup, the Austrian defenseman will help the Rocket push past the Toronto Marlies tremendously.

Reinbacher was seen practicing with the regulars on Tuesday morning, indicative of a start against the Marlies on Wednesday.

There was not much need for questions about what his presence meant; as the Rocket announced on Wednesday morning, that Reinbacher would draw back into the lineup.

The Rocket are ensuring not to rush anything that could cause an aggravation. Laval quite likes to play against Toronto this season, and every game down the stretch is important at this time of year. Having a playoff mentality a month before the playoffs starts is a great way for the entire team to be on the same page, and prepared ahead of time.

Reinbacher's return means that Zach Hayes is coming out of the lineup for the AHL rookie defenseman.

Sporting No. 64, it's easy to see all of the things that stood out to Kent Hughes, when his scouting staff were watching Reinbacher. The guy is a fantastic athlete, who is still so young and has tremendous room to grow physically. Mentally, I would say Reinbacher's processor sets him apart from the pack, and that is why he was the first defender off the board in the 2023 Draft.

He has a calming influence about him, and the way he slows down the game from his defensive post is rare. Few defensemen can slow the game for themselves, and transport the puck to safe spots consistently. Reinbacher is so interesting in that he has great vision, and can perform high-skill passes, but his shot is rather unknown, aside from a wrist shot.

I'm not suggesting that he will ever score goals like Shea Weber did - overwhelming goalies with a ferocious cannon from the blueline. But, he could certainly benefit by adding such a tool to his repertoire. I expect if he one day plays with Lane Hutson, having a great one-touch shot would open up space for the Canadiens, especially on the power play.

I'm absolutely convinced that Reinbacher will be the likeliest Rocket defenseman to play for the Montreal Canadiens in 2025-26.

Impressions of Reinbacher's sixth game of the year

I think with Reinbacher, he is very much a what you see is what you get type of player, whose brilliance stems from simplicity. Reinbacher reminds me of a player, a defenseman specifically that you will want on your team in those marathon games. His size, skating and hockey brain stand out to me as the makings of an all-situations minute-muncher.

Hutson has come up many times as a potential partner, and I like the idea of it a lot. Reinbacher isn't a stay-at-home defender, though his defensive game is very mature and polished. Pegging him into a defensive shutdown role would take away the other brilliant parts of his game.

Skating is a big part of most players who come from Europe, the ice is bigger after all. And Reinbacher is a fantastic skater, who I think has room to add another gear, and more explosiveness to his toolkit. There were Moritz Seider comparisons, based on his hockey route, and his similar frame.

The German Seider is six-foot-four, and 205-pounds, while his Austrian counterpart is six-foot-three, and 209-pounds. Reinbacher isn't as physical, as far as what I have seen thus far, and he is less adventurous in the attacking zone. But the skating, passing, vision and shot are relatively similar, though Seider is stronger, and more mature (Seider, 23, and Reinbacher, 20) which is normal.

While this sounds like a scouting report, it is a narration of what you see when he is on the ice, with a little bit of analysis. Let's call it predictive analysis; as I think he can take his talent and skills, and with some significant reps, and more games under his belt, the fundamentals of his game will allow him to take over shifts.

Balancing out defence pairs is one of the tougher things to do in the league, but I think that Reinbacher and Hutson would be a fun pair to watch long-term. Just the way that Reinbacher scans, and then makes his move, always supporting his defender if necessary. I think No. 20 and No. 64 would look nice together on the Habs blueline.

I have to be honest, I like Logan Mailloux, but feel frustrated watching him on the power play. He reminds me a lot of Jeff Petry, in that he has great tools, but is better offensively than defensively. Often at the blueline on the power play, Mailloux looks nervous operating the quarterback role for the Rocket.

Decision-making, and overthinking are the obvious issue, and it could be another full season in Laval next year, before I feel confident about him playing for the Canadiens. I want to see Reinbacher in Mailloux's spot, to see how he does, I think his vision, and the way he processes things will give him an upper hand over Mailloux in the role.

Reinbacher is every bit as aggressive as Mailloux, but he is more calculated, and methodical about it, and he doesn't hesitate. On the forecheck - he is quick, converging on pucks quickly and making defences earn their pay cheque. I think that he will develop into a better defenseman than David Jiricek and Simon Nemec, because of his brain.

Reinbacher's game sheet

Reinbacher recorded no hits, and one shot and looked engaged, quick and made great decisions with the puck.

His ability to assess things with a quick scan and execute plays quickly is impressive for a first-year defenseman in the American Hockey League. I also love how naturally he joins the rush, because he challenges defenders, presenting as a fourth forward.

The Rocket won 3-0, with Laurent Dauphin's hat trick filling the scoresheet.