Prospect Info: David Reinbacher - Laval Rocket edition

[River Meadow]

First...i like Rein...

But what suprises me is that no one brings up any failures or mistakes.

So I'll just go with the flow...HE'S FANTASTIC...

Good job,

Welcome to HFBoards Canadiens forum circa 2025.

 

[River Meadow]

I'm not a Reinbacher guy and I hated the pick, but he was hurt pretty much all year and then pretty well thrown in for the playoffs (which are a notch above regular season play no matter what league). He's played a total of 20 AHL regular season games in two seasons. He's still got work.

I'm not ready to just throw my hands up and give up on him yet. Lots of miles left.

Serious question,

Is anyone here advocating for that?

 

[HabsAddict]

I'm not a Reinbacher guy and I hated the pick, but he was hurt pretty much all year and then pretty well thrown in for the playoffs (which are a notch above regular season play no matter what league). He's played a total of 20 AHL regular season games in two seasons. He's still got work.

I'm not ready to just throw my hands up and give up on him yet. Lots of miles left.

Absolutely

A little bit of close watching and there were signs he came back too early. Worse he was thrown in tne deep end. His knee wasn't NHL ready until maybe a few weeks before the playoffs. Even now, there are signs he's wearing a brace because I have seen him fall about 3 or 4 times taking a turn.

At least I'm hoping it's a brace that restricts his movement and not pain making him take the weight off.

He's too critical to our defense build to lose him.

 

[HabsAddict]

Serious question,

Is anyone here advocating for that?

Criticism is not hate...nor giving up on a player.

Sheesh...early in my career, I had a boss that would greet me every morning, then remind me if i screwed up and ask me what will I do that day to earn my pay.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Serious question,

Is anyone here advocating for that?

Die hard Michkovians wrote his obituary the second he was drafted. So yes, I can confirm that the climate of the world right now is there's "fans" desperate for him to bust because being "right" is more important than anything else. Which also means these same people will create caveats and conditions where they'll always be "right" in this situation.

 

[Spearmint Rhino]

We needed one of DR, Mailloux or Barron to hit or we were in trouble, that’s why Kovy was let go, crying about a 7D on a team picking 5OA isn’t going to bring him back - good for Jono he got a great contract after a hot start and yeah having him on the 3rd pair would help next year but doesn’t move the dial in the long run. Now we are down to DR or Mailloux hitting (or both), I wouldn’t trade either unless it’s a sure thing coming back

 

[WeThreeKings]

We needed one of DR, Mailloux or Barron to hit or we were in trouble, that’s why Kovy was let go, crying about a 7D on a team picking 5OA isn’t going to bring him back - good for Jono he got a great contract after a hot start and yeah having him on the 3rd pair would help next year but doesn’t move the dial in the long run. Now we are down to DR or Mailloux hitting (or both), I wouldn’t trade either unless it’s a sure thing coming back

We can sign Perbix off FA and be no worse for wear. Losing Kovacevic was and continues to be a nothing burger.

 

[Erika]

Some people don't watch all details. But if people watch the details, they would see the high potential of Reinbacher.

Since day one that I'm very high on his potential. On draft day, it was him or Michkov for me. I wanted nothing to do with Ryan Leonard at 5th overall who will be at best a 2nd line complementary winger imo.

The kid will be a stud. I still believe that he will easily be the Habs #2 or at worst a #3 defenseman. He can also become a #1, but unlikely.

Those who thinks Reinbacher is bad doesn't watch him play and their opinions shouldn't be considered.

 

[Scriptor]

Since day one that I'm very high on his potential. On draft day, it was him or Michkov for me. I wanted nothing to do with Ryan Leonard at 5th overall who will be at best a 2nd line complementary winger imo.

The kid will be a stud. I still believe that he will easily be the Habs #2 or at worst a #3 defenseman. He can also become a #1, but unlikely.

Those who thinks Reinbacher is bad doesn't watch him play and their opinions shouldn't be considered.

Those who thinks Reinbacher is bad doesn't watch him play and their opinions shouldn't be considered.

This is too funny! Idon't think Reinbacher is bad at all, but reading this amounts to nothing more than, if you disagree, you are wrong.

 

[Tyson]

Yes and no. They're about the same size. They both have similar skating, even down to the stride. I find Seider to be better and harder to play against defensively in the slot, around the net and along the boards. He's also meaner than Reinbacher and will lay big hits. Reinbacher is more inconsistent and wild around the net, but he's very rangy and snuffs out plays in transition. Both have always been underrated offensively, but Reinbachers strength is his passing, even if his shot/one timer is underrated. I find Seider to be more "power" if that makes any sense.

I agree about the different styles but they are both big, both RD, both top 6 picks. Yes the styles are different but I still see some similarities. Let's hope Reinbacher becomes as good.

 

[Doom Bot]

I'm hopeful DR is similar to Struble where their game will actually look better in the NHL with better team mates than it does in the AHL. I find this happens sometimes for players that play a very simple, non flashy game. Reinbachers entire style of play is meant to make his teammates better so when his teammates are not as good it can be underwhelming.

 

[RationalExpectations]

I agree about the different styles but they are both big, both RD, both top 6 picks. Yes the styles are different but I still see some similarities. Let's hope Reinbacher becomes as good.

At draft time, my comp for him was Pietrangelo, I still believe this is the closest player stylistically speaking. He won't be used as much on the PP as Pietrangelo so he likely won't put up as many points though.

 

[Tyson]

At draft time, my comp for him was Pietrangelo, I still believe this is the closest player stylistically speaking. He won't be used as much on the PP as Pietrangelo so he likely won't put up as many points though.

The one unknown about Reinbacher at this point is...what is his offensive production upside? He has a bomb for a shot and his hockey IQ is exceptional. There is alot to like about this player.
He is starting to separate himself from other D prospects.

 

[Junohockeyfan]

Kovacevic was such a vanilla dman. He didn’t excel at anything. He wasn’t bad at anything either. Not a player you give 4M aav to.

He overachieved in the first 2/3 of the season with Nj then his game fell back to normal.

He’s a decent bottom pairing dman if his caphit is low. At 4M he could become an issue.

 

[Dagistitsyn]

Kovacevic was such a vanilla dman. He didn’t excel at anything. He wasn’t bad at anything either. Not a player you give 4M aav to.

He overachieved in the first 2/3 of the season with Nj then his game fell back to normal.

He’s a decent bottom pairing dman if his caphit is low. At 4M he could become an issue.

Exact same thing can be said about Carrier and look how much he stabilized our D core just by being steady D man but not excelling in anything. Need those guys when you have Matheson and other young d-men constantly getting exposed. Imagine how f***ed we would have been without Carrier this season. Sounds like a crazy thing to say, but our right side looks brutal without him. Looking at box scores and stats he seems easily replaceable.

Kovacevic is overpaid now, yeah, but not by much. Especially when you factor in the cap going up. He’d be great to have on 3 even 3.5 per.

Kovacevic is still a much better fit for this team than Struble. Big right handed shot (which we lack) and just a better player.

Reinbacher injury was unfortunate because I assume they were banking on him stepping in when they moved Kov. Turns out he’s not ready yet anyways. Could use another half season or maybe even more in the AHL.

 

[Kobe Armstrong]

Great goal and assist for him but he did go full Matheson one shift

 

[Captain97]

Those who thinks Reinbacher is bad doesn't watch him play and their opinions shouldn't be considered.

This is too funny! Idon't think Reinbacher is bad at all, but reading this amounts to nothing more than, if you disagree, you are wrong.

That's not true at all...

Hes saying if you don't watch a player and thinks he's bad your opinion doesn't matter because you are stat/highlight watching a 2-way dman.

 

[Miller Time]

Kovacevic is still a much better fit for this team than Struble. Big right handed shot (which we lack) and just a better player.

Kovacevic is 27, Strubble is 23.

That we traded a 26 year old depth dman and kept a 22 year old depth dman last summer was a "much better fit" for our organization & roster situation.

"Just a better player" is a weird comment to add for 2 players in very different stages of their respective careers.

If Strubble makes even 1/2 of the performance progress Kovacevic made from 23-27, he'll be a far better NHL player than Kovy was this past season.

 

[HankyZetts]

Great goal and assist for him but he did go full Matheson one shift

That is not full Matheson haha never go full Matheson
That is an example of his two teammates standing in the same place, giving him no options, him then creating one for them, which they both fail terribly to take advantage of. And all of that led to reinbacher then trying the risky play next, which obviously burned him.
Gignac should be in the echl after watching that clip

 

[Habs4Life]

That is not full Matheson haha never go full Matheson
That is an example of his two teammates standing in the same place, giving him no options, him then creating one for them, which they both fail terribly to take advantage of. And all of that led to reinbacher then trying the risky play next, which obviously burned him.
Gignac should be in the echl after watching that clip

The goalie probably should have had that one too

 

[Redux91]

Great goal and assist for him but he did go full Matheson one shift

So I get you're JUST focusing on Reinbacher here, I get that

But now explain to me what the 2 Laval forwards are doing exactly lol

There should be a man ALREADY where David puts the puck
And he can't peel back and head behind the net to regroup he's got a man on his ASS

Don't get me wrong
The Goal Against is directly tied to him for sure
But christ get open guys lol

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

I bet Reinbacher is the kind of guy that 'enables push notifications' on his browser.

…and he did it immediately after being drafted by us and has yet to turn them off since

 

[themilosh]

Die hard Michkovians wrote his obituary the second he was drafted. So yes, I can confirm that the climate of the world right now is there's "fans" desperate for him to bust because being "right" is more important than anything else. Which also means these same people will create caveats and conditions where they'll always be "right" in this situation.

I wasn't on board with the RB pick but totally understood it.. contrary to many in here, i was (and still) not a fan of Michkov for the Habs- he just did not fit our system and culture... then theres the issue of his size... it was either him or CC.. no room for two of these guys..

Why do people not understand you cant stack your top 6 with sub 5'10 players? Everything is relative..

 

[BenchBrawl]

Die hard Michkovians wrote his obituary the second he was drafted. So yes, I can confirm that the climate of the world right now is there's "fans" desperate for him to bust because being "right" is more important than anything else. Which also means these same people will create caveats and conditions where they'll always be "right" in this situation.

I was the most hardcore Michkovian and I've never said a bad word about Reinbacher, never mind hoping for him to bust.

I can both disagree with the pick and think he's a solid prospect. Not mutually exclusive.

Anyway, Michkov is old news since we got Demidov to replace him. What luck!

 

[Habs]

…and he did it immediately after being drafted by us and has yet to turn them off since

LIKE