Montreal Canadiens defensive prospect David Reinbacher has caught the attention of many a media member as of late.
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In a recent post on X, TVASports.ca writer Nicholas Cloutier wrote about Reinbacher’s abilities on the ice, saying that the blueliner has four-way mobility, an underrated offensive upside and that the young Austrian plays with a “swagger.”
Cloutier published an article wherein Reinbacher talked about his Summer training strategy. The defenseman stated that he wants to play in Montreal come the start of the season and that his offseason workouts were planned with this goal in mind.
Related: Canadiens: David Reinbacher is Shooting For an Opening Day Roster Spot
Reinbacher was also named to the Team Austria 25-man roster for the Olympic qualification tournament that will take place this weekend. He had a goal in one of the two victories over Team Slovenia.
Related: Canadiens: Reinbacher and Rohrer Make Team Austria 25-Man Roster
The case for Reinbacher to join the Canadiens fray would be more convincing if there wasn’t already a slew of players logjamming the depth chart. Whereas prospects such as Logan Mailloux, Jayden Struble and Lane Hutson are closer to a spot among the six D-men, the Austrian could perform well enough to merit a place for himself.
One of the main critiques towards Reinbacher is the lack of North American competition he’s faced. He has spent most of his professional career in the Swiss National League, with only 11 AHL games and five points to his name from the end of last season.
Montreal GM Kent Hughes had a busy Summer when it came to getting players to put pen to paper. Arber Xhekaj, Justin Barron signed new contracts and Kaiden Guhle signed a six-year extension. While Jordan Harris and Jonathan Kovacevic have been traded away to Columbus and New Jersey respectively, there still isn’t much room to bring in Reinbacher quite yet.
Related: Canadiens: About the Harris-Laine Trade
His right-handed shot is a powerful weapon among the Canadiens, who, despite the aforementioned logjam, don’t have many righties on the blueline except for Barron, Mailloux and David Savard. Guhle has proven that he can play on the right side, but it doesn’t mean there isn’t still a need.
If injuries or more transactions from the front office happen, the blueliner will remind the fan base of his talents, especially considering Ivan Demidov usurped his first-round peer in the prospect rankings as soon as the Russian was drafted.
There is little to no doubt that Reinbacher will find himself in the NHL soon, or even this season, but the question is whether that’s before or after the trade deadline.
Related
Canadiens: David Reinbacher Will Soon Be Back in Town
Canadiens: Reinbacher and Rohrer Lead Austria to a 2-1 Victory Over Slovenia
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