Recalled/Assigned: David Reinbacher Assigned to the Laval Rocket

[Jaynki]

I would argue that Savard is something of a hybrid PMD/DDas he has very good hands, high IQ and is a very good passer. As he has aged he has become less mobile but there are many players who don't fit into these predetermined archetypes. When I envision a true DD see the Joel Edmundsons and Brook Orpiks of the world.

I agree that people calling Reinbacher a DD are not capturing the essence of his game as it is all about transition and there is no reason to rule out the possibility of him being a valuable offensive contributor. I have never seen a big time offensive player (Josi comparisons) when watching him but I do think that he has the Slavin/Hanifin archetype that can produce 40+ points while playing a shutdown role against the leagues top players with his highest upside being Pietrangelo and 50 + points. I see a player who gets as many or more assists from killing plays and initiating odd man rushes with a great pass than a player who primarily creates in the offensive zone even though I believe that he will be competent in that area. If Hutson and Mailloux both develop as we hope then there likely will be little to no PP time available to Reinbacher so this could limit him to a 30 ish point dman but will not have any effect on his 5 vs 5 value.

100% agree. Exactly how i see it too.

I dont think we will see Reinbacher dangles D a lot like he did on his first AHL goal.

On the other end tho, the read then subsequent steal that got his team possession back and led to a subsequent offensive rush will be a frequent, common occurences.

 

[Hinterland]

100% agree. Exactly how i see it too.

I dont think we will see Reinbacher dangles D a lot like he did on his first AHL goal.

On the other end tho, the read then subsequent steal that got his team possession back and led to a subsequent offensive rush will be a frequent, common occurences.

Yeah, he hasn't really done a lot of this in Switzerland. As I already mentioned, I wonder if the Laval coaches told him or encouraged him to hold onto pucks for longer and try stuff like this. I don't think his coaches in Switzerland would have appreciated it and I don't think it's necessarily in his DNA, the way he wants to play either. Since he did it in the 3rd period with his team in need of a goal it was a valid option though. If he becomes more comfortable with those dangles that's not a bad thing going forward but I'd be shocked if he tried that on a regular basis. He'll take risks on stretch passes but not really on those kind of plays.

 

[Jaynki]

Yeah, he hasn't really done a lot of this in Switzerland. As I already mentioned, I wonder if the Laval coaches told him or encouraged him to hold onto pucks for longer and try stuff like this. I don't think his coaches in Switzerland would have appreciated it and I don't think it's necessarily in his DNA, the way he wants to play either. Since he did it in the 3rd period with his team in need of a goal it was a valid option though. If he becomes more comfortable with those dangles that's not a bad thing going forward but I'd be shocked if he tried that on a regular basis. He'll take risks on stretch passes but not really on those kind of plays.

Id be shocked too if we see dangles like this on a regular basis.

He rarely has the puck on his stick for long as he is always looking to pass it to the forward up front.

 

[Catanddogguitarrr]

Id be shocked too if we see dangles like this on a regular basis.

He rarely has the puck on his stick for long as he is always looking to pass it to the forward up front.

All this could change, according to his new coaches in NA, his new role and natural skills he could developp. So far, he could just take posession of the puck and make perfect passes but he could carry the puck more and more as part of his evolution. He's a the right place to make experiments so the coaches and management will know his limitations. I don't think he'll turn into a Subban 2.0, he'll become a true team's first player.

 

[Jaynki]

All this could change, according to his new coaches in NA, his new role and natural skills he could developp. So far, he could just take posession of the puck and make perfect passes but he could carry the puck more and more as part of his evolution. He's a the right place to make experiments so the coaches and management will know his limitations. I don't think he'll turn into a Subban 2.0, he'll become a true team's first player.

Agree, i remember seeing him carrying the puck a few times.

 

[Catanddogguitarrr]

Agree, i remember seeing him carrying the puck a few times.

Skating is one of his skills.

 

[Rapala]

David had a much harder time keeping the game in front of him last night.
I've always said the best Dmen live a charmed existence and those plays don't end up in the back of your net. Which they didn't.
The one play that did hurt him was Belleville's second goal where he got stripped of the puck behind the net.

However I salivate when I watch his smooth puck distribution to either side. Effortlessly finding the right outlet at the right time.
We do not have a better player for this at either level. I don't know how many games I've watched where our D hold the puck too long.
By the time they make a play the space has closed down. The players who will benefit most from this are at the top of our lineup.

 

[Tyson]

David had a much harder time keeping the game in front of him last night.
I've always said the best Dmen live a charmed existence and those plays don't end up in the back of your net. Which they didn't.
The one play that did hurt him was Belleville's second goal where he got stripped of the puck behind the net.

However I salivate when I watch his smooth puck distribution to either side. Effortlessly finding the right outlet at the right time.
We do not have a better player for this at either level. I don't know how many games I've watched where our D hold the puck too long.
By the time they make a play the space has closed down. The players who will benefit most are at the top of our lineup.

Yep one thing that stood out for me last night are is outlet passes. On one play I thought he was dumping the puck out only to see a tape to tape pass up ice...I said...damn that's impressive.

You can see the talent.

 

[Rapala]

Yep one thing that stood out for me last night are is outlet passes. On one play I thought he was dumping the puck out only to see a tape to tape pass up ice...I said...damn that's impressive.

You can see the talent.

I know exactly which play you are referring to. The beauty of that play was how accurate it was and how unexpected it was. He doesn't telegraph anything.

 

[26Mats]

No you're just asking who my favourite defensive defenceman at 5OA is. I guess that's not making a definitive statement and yet still casting aspersions.

Can't say I understand the point of this exchange though? You're saying wait and see when I was poking fun at people who never wait and see?

Yes, you clarified your position that you were being sarcastic in a certain way when you were asking rhetorically about no GM ever taking a defensive dman top 5. I thought you were in favor of taking such a dman, when in fact you clarified that un your opinion HuGo only took Reinbacher 5th overall because they project offense.

I think you're probably right in that opinion. So there is no point to this exchange. I'll just say two things as side notes, as someone who was intrigued by the hype over Michkov, but who considers himself unqualified to say who the better pick was: on the one hand I'll be pissed if Michkov turns out to be the real deal and Reinbacher doesn't. On the other hand, drafting is about building a winning team over time. It's not about winning each draft, or the most number of drafts. You can "lose" every draft not ending up getting the best player available, but ending up with a boatload of really good players. So even if Michkov or someone else ends up being better than Reinbacher, as long as we build a winner over time, I'll be happy with the drafting as a whole.

 

[Jaynki]

Yes, you clarified your position that you were being sarcastic in a certain way when you were asking rhetorically about no GM ever taking a defensive dman top 5. I thought you were in favor of taking such a dman, when in fact you clarified that un your opinion HuGo only took Reinbacher 5th overall because they project offense.

I think you're probably right in that opinion. So there is no point to this exchange. I'll just say two things as side notes, as someone who was intrigued by the hype over Michkov, but who considers himself unqualified to say who the better pick was: on the one hand I'll be pissed if Michkov turns out to be the real deal and Reinbacher doesn't. On the other hand, drafting is about building a winning team over time. It's not about winning each draft, or the most number of drafts. You can "lose" every draft not ending up getting the best player available, but ending up with a boatload of really good players. So even if Michkov or someone else ends up being better than Reinbacher, as long as we build a winner over time, I'll be happy with the drafting as a whole.

Very, very good point.

Take the 2018 draft for Dallas.

They missed on Cale Makar who one could argue is the best dman in the league.

Still ended up with a bonafide 1D, superstar forward and their franchise goalie. (Heiskanen, Robertson and Oettinger)

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

f*** sake guys, can't you all just appreciate Reinbacher for what he is instead of going full banana over something insignificant Hughes said?

Minutes-eating, reliable, tall, puck moving RDs are NOT easily available, isn't obvious why they picked him?

I don’t think anyone’s gone bananas. It’s a side conversation. It was a rare miscue by Hughes and a minor one.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

I just don't understand why you would draft a defensive defenceman at 5OA. /s

I forget who said that on here but hold your head in shame.... again.

I’d assume they were talking about that specific draft as it was top heavy with forwards and Michkov was still on the board.

 

[Junohockeyfan]

I don’t think anyone’s gone bananas. It’s a side conversation. It was a rare miscue by Hughes and a minor one.

Shouldn't we wait to see how things unfold in 2 to 3 years before calling it a miscue? People were calling the Slaf selection a total blunder at one point this season...

 

[Tyson]

While nothing is ever guaranteed when it comes to scouting teenagers as it is difficult to project how they will evolve.
Scouts watch these kids countless times, get to know them, their families, it's a significant vetting process. From what I read it was 100%, every Habs scout all wanted Reinbacher. Nothing is guaranteed but I like what I have seen so far.

 

[HuGo Burner Acc]

He is not even a defensive defenseman
That would fit Savard.

Reinbacher is a PMD. His game is all about transition and supporting the attack.

And he is also very good defensively.

ng that

He is not even a defensive defenseman
That would fit Savard.

Reinbacher is a PMD. His game is all about transition and supporting the attack.

And he is also very good defensively.

Yes, he isn't a defensive defensemen. He's a shutdown defenseman who can generate offence. Id more characterize players like Hughes and Karlsson as PMD cause they can't shutdown elite opposition on their own. Or you can characterize Reinbacher as a two way D but shutdown seems more prestigious

 

[habbubba]

Double darn it! I wanted to go see him play so much but stupid family commitments. I hope there are some that went for a drive to check him out,how'd he look?

 

[Gally11]

It still does not say that it definitely would have mattered but the fact is that RD objectively is more valuable than LD and that universally factors into BPA. This has nothing to do with selecting Reinbacher on any level anyways as LD was the only position that we were absolutely stacked at. If they chose a player at any other position your argument could still be applied as we have a need everywhere other than LD and just because Reinbacher is a D does not automatically make him a need pick anymore than a forward or a goaltender would have been. If Michkov was a C and not a W it would have changed his BPA rating as well?

The two most valuable assets in the NHL are big, skilled RHD's and RHC's and this directly factors into the BPA quotient that every team formulates. BPA should really be changed to BAA (Best Asset Available) because this is actually how NHL teams draft and encompasses criteria such as positional value, geopolitical factors, size etc. The term BPA is misleading to many fans and leaves their comparative baseline as a nebulous collection of vague interpretations that are viewed through a perceived team bias as opposed to a league wide value system.

Yeah you can hear it in how they speak about picks like Slaf, they define it in how hard it is to find in free agency or trades which to me is a good definition of a BPA

 

[Gally11]

Yeah, he hasn't really done a lot of this in Switzerland. As I already mentioned, I wonder if the Laval coaches told him or encouraged him to hold onto pucks for longer and try stuff like this. I don't think his coaches in Switzerland would have appreciated it and I don't think it's necessarily in his DNA, the way he wants to play either. Since he did it in the 3rd period with his team in need of a goal it was a valid option though. If he becomes more comfortable with those dangles that's not a bad thing going forward but I'd be shocked if he tried that on a regular basis. He'll take risks on stretch passes but not really on those kind of plays.

You can see the Habs are trying to build a Colorado style of hockey with D activating a lot, especially in situations like that where they were down 1 in an important game. I’m sure message from bench was to go hard on those 50/50 chances to push offense, especially given our forwards weren’t generating much before that lol

 

[Catanddogguitarrr]

I don’t think anyone’s gone bananas. It’s a side conversation. It was a rare miscue by Hughes and a minor one.

Seb is 100% right. Many folks here got high mileage debate mentioning that fast answer quote by Hughes. What he said, it's not important. Leave semantic for splitting hair in 4 people, lol.

 

[Andrei79]

I really like his toolset and his maturity. He has poise, he covers a lot of ice with his skating, size and reach and the outlet passes are excellent. He'll be able to fit with anyone. He's the kind of defenseman I've wanted for years in Montreal. Like @Gally11 said, players like he and Slaf are very hard to find on the FA or trade market. This is why it was so foolish to trade away McDonagh and Sergachev. Only, Reinbacher is a RD as well.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Seb is 100% right. Many folks here got high mileage debate mentioning that fast answer quote by Hughes. What he said, it's not important.

And yet, here you are…

 

[Junohockeyfan]

He looks like RHD version of Guhle. Really good skater.

 

[The Last Red]

Shouldn't we wait to see how things unfold in 2 to 3 years before calling it a miscue? People were calling the Slaf selection a total blunder at one point this season...

Wasn’t the “miscue” his comment about the pick? That was an obvious blunder by him.

 

[HuGo Burner Acc]

I really like his toolset and his maturity. He has poise, he covers a lot of ice with his skating, size and reach and the outlet passes are excellent. He'll be able to fit with anyone. He's the kind of defenseman I've wanted for years in Montreal. Like @Gally11 said, players like he and Slaf are very hard to find on the FA or trade market. This is why it was so foolish to trade away McDonagh and Sergachev. Only, Reinbacher is a RD as well.

Players like Reinbacher and slaf win you playoff series. Also Habs had Weber for a while so it's not like we never saw it here. But now we get an teenage version of a Sutter/Pietrangelo. I have no doubt he'll be an elite top pairing D in the league sooner rather than later. And roster wise, it makes the hutson pick look better. Hutsons deficiencies are Reinbacher strengths. Also expect to see Guhle-Reinbacher eating up extra shifts/most of the final minutes in a game together