David Reinbacher, a Montreal Canadiens prospect, has been referred to as a variety of things, with the fifth overall pick of the Habs topping the list.
He isn’t overly physical if you go down one or two spots, no lower than the fifth most popular thing he’s been called. Unless he has to be, as his opponent discovered the hard way during a Swiss NL league game.
Reinbacher was standing next to Nathan Beaulieu, and after Reinbacher mistreated his opponent, Beaulieu stepped in to assist. It was a great moment for two reasons: it was nostalgic to see Beaulieu, and Reinbacher is the more physically gifted of the two. Reinbacher appears to tower over his defensive partner, number two Beaulieu, who is 6’2″ and 200 pounds.
Reinbacher is described as a smooth skater with solid puck skills and great lateral mobility who is still maturing. He can generate offense, and his vision fuels his playmaking, while his combination of size and speed with open ice challenges defenders. He also has a good shot, but we haven’t seen much physicality from him, owing to the fact that European hockey is less physical, with skill and strong skating taking precedence over roughness.
That is not to say Reinbacher will not be a more physical player in the NHL; he is a big kid. The 18-year-old stands nearly 6’4″ and weighs 215 pounds, and he is learning how to play physically and deal with larger, stronger opponents.
I still don’t think he’ll be a physical threat like Arber Xhekaj. However, it’s encouraging to see that, like Kaiden Guhle, he’s not afraid to get his hands dirty while still making an impact on the game with his skating and sound decision-making. Offensively, it’s difficult to predict what he’ll become, but he’s poised at the blue line, his head up and scanning constantly, and posing as a shooting threat.
The tools and package are appealing, and it’s easy to see why Reinbacher was ranked first in the 2024 Draft class. However, with so many offensive players available, some question the Canadiens’ decision to draft a defenseman. Especially when the offense requires pure shooters to make an impact, such as Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Kirby Dach (when he is healthy).
In terms of offense, he’s no slouch. Even with little development, he will most likely be a valuable contributor, but if he wants to advance in his game, this is where he must improve. It could mean the difference between a 30-point player and a player with 50 to 60 points.
However, if Reinbacher is paired with someone like Lane Hutson, a very creative offensive defenseman, they may complement each other very well. They would both play to each other’s strengths while allowing their partner to do the same. For the foreseeable future, that could be a very strong pairing for the Canadiens, and if Reinbacher can improve his offensive game, the sky is the limit.
Reinbacher appears to be a solid top-four right-shot defenseman at worst. Even with development, he’ll never be able to compete with Norris, but he’ll be very good. Some have compared him to Mo Seider, which, if true, should make Canadiens fans very happy. Those are big shoes to fill, but Reinbacher has the skills to do it.
Leave a Reply