David Reinbacher doesn't wow in preseason debut, and that's okay

David Reinbacher is in a difficult spot for the Montreal Canadiens. He already had to contend with the section of the fanbase that'll never get over them picking Reinbacher over Matvei Michkov at the draft. It would've taken a lot for him to show it was the right choice. Now, he has Lane Hutson tearing up training camp opposite of him, which has Canadiens fans excited for their next great defensive prospect. Reinbacher would've needed a heroic performance in his first preseason game against the New Jersey Devils to appease some fans, and he doesn't have that in him.

The Canadiens put Reinbacher alongside Mike Matheson in this game, which is the role they need him to play moving forward. Reinbacher feels like a perfect fit next to Lane Hutson in the future, as he is the stay-at-home defenseman who will allow Hutson to unlock his talents. Reinbacher was a steady presence on the backend in his debut, and the Canadiens are happy for him to be just that.

The offense could eventually come for Reinbacher, but teams don't win with six offensive defensemen. If we forecast a future lineup for the Canadiens, we can see Hutson, Logan Mailloux, and Adam Engstrom factoring in somewhere on it. Reinbacher will be the oil to their water, as someone will need to play the tough defensive minutes against the other team's best forwards. The offensive guys flourish, with Reinbacher and Kaiden Guhle playing those minutes.

Reinbacher realizes that he may not be ready for full-time minutes in the NHL yet, and he's okay with starting his career in Laval. The only negative that could come from the experience is if the fanbase starts piling on when Michkov is recording points for the Flyers this season. So, if you can do one thing as a fan, don't write the 2023 draft off as a failure if Michkov tallies 60 points this season.

The Canadiens had a plan with their drafting, and by all accounts, they had their eyes on Ivan Demidov since last year. Is it possible they took a defenseman last season with the thought of taking Demidov this year in the back of their minds? Would you rather they took Michkov in 2023 and a right-shot defenseman like Carter Yakemchuk in this year's draft? The fans all seem happy about Demidov. So, let's be content with the offensive pieces Kent Hughes acquired instead of Michkov and let Reinbacher develop into a premier, right-shot defenseman. He just might become a fan-favorite one day.