For any fifth overall pick, expectations are high, but for a Montreal Canadiens first round pick, the hockey hotbed takes things to another level.
David Reinbacher knew all too well when the Habs selected him, that a storied franchise with such a history would bring its own set of challenges. Having a season in Switzerland to play with less pressure and finish his educational obligations seemed like a smart one at the time. It came with its own set of challenges, but Reinbacher showed his maturity and kept his head above water in a frustrating season.
High character is something the Canadiens appreciate, so its not surprising that the habs took Reinbacher. But its promising to see that he never let the frustration get the best of him, instead he focused on improving his defensive game. But when he came to Laval, he showed off his great anticipation, quick stride and soft hands to score a couple of beautiful tallies.
Year one in Laval, what's in store for Reinbacher?
I think that Reinbacher has more offensive potential than he showed with EHC Kloten, simply just because the situation there wasn't one that was conducive for offensive growth. But it would be wild to assume that he can't grow his game in Laval, which I fully expect that he will. Obviously the competition will be more talented than what Reinbacher is used to, but he will only get better because of it.
I'm not convinced that he is going to explode offensively, but I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility for him to score 10-12 goals and maybe 20-25 assists. He wasn't drafted to be an offensive dynamo, but a responsible puck carrier, who can take over games with his outlet passes or taking the puck for a skate by himself. I do think he has plenty of room to grow and even if he doesn't perform particularly well during year one, he will develop into a very good number two or three defenseman.
Moritz Seider has been a player compared to Reinbacher many times and he wasn't exactly expected to emerge like he did and dominate on the Red Wings blueline. We are all hopeful that he can develop into something similar to Seider, but it could be a few seasons before we have an idea of what sort of player he is. The transition to smaller ice and an increase in level of competition often takes a while to adjust to, so it will likely be more of a marathon than a sprint in seeing what Reinbacher becomes.