Prospect Info: David Reinbacher

[Boss Man Hughes]

To be fair, we can’t use the actions of the judgment impaired few to define a whole fan base.

Yes, they ought to be called out and dealt with. But, the vast majority are good people who just love their team and their players. It’s unfair to put them all in the same boat.

So many on this forum have called out the abhorrent actions of those responsible so in the end, soundness of mind prevails.

The police need to find some of the people who posted death threats, arrest them, and hopefully they get jail time. They can't go after everyone but use a few as examples. Make sure it is widely publcized and that if you decide to make a death threat you are rolling the dice because you might be the next one they go after.
In any event if the fans were going to threaten players it should have been Armia, Hoffman and Dadonov who have been uselss for years.

 

[Runner77]

I’m super geekie comms wise. That’s what I used to do. And they did not help to prep up the room.

As a comms person, everything needs to be seen as the worst to come. I think they did not prep up as if it could happen. Paul Wilson had to weather the Mailloux storm. And Paul is a vet in the biz. Again, the hockey team did not help him too much there. And yet, they waited a full week before REACTING. He failed.

Social media is a hellfire. What happened was to be expected. Look at this forum. Everybody and their mother was prepared for the meltdown.

How about those several pundits who hinted and predicted at least two months before the draft that the Habs would not select Michkov if he fell to them?

Did none of that percolate from Hughes’ people? I’d call that getting ahead of “the worst to come” as the majority of Habs fans on all social media platforms clamoured for Michkov. Habs had to be supremely tone deaf not to be aware.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

I disagree actually -- even if Michkov is only as good at forward as Reinbacher is at defence, it is perfectly justifiable for a Habs supporter to be frustrated that the organization which has not had an elite forward in decades would eschew one in favour of the defenceman. We've had the luck of enjoying many very good defenceman in the past two decades but not forwards -- it's perfectly fair to want a team that plays loose hockey to have an elite forward rather than an elite dman, if it was given the choice.

We haven't had a Tarasenko or Stutzle. Caufield isn't one yet either.

Get where you’re coming from here but that shouldn’t be how a GM looks at things. He’s not thinking of us being frustrated that we haven’t had a 100 point player in decades. He cares about building the best team. And that’s how it should be.

Even if we as fans - myself included -are super pissed about not getting the franchise scorer we’ve wanted in forever.

McDavid lead the NHL with 153 points this year, our leading scorer got less than half of that with 66 points. You can't say that there is pressure on Michkov to prove himself worthy of the hype. Players bust all the time. The matter of picking one or the other at the draft has everything to do with their perceived upside. Michkov the forward vs Reinbacher the dman, despite organizational weaknesses up front, they choose Reinbacher.

Our defence has been even worse than our offense though. You could make the argument both ways.

Devil’s advocate here: Not only does Reinbacker shore up the D, he helps Hutson coming in and he’ll help the goalies tremendously.

All that said I don't think the intensity of the discussion was wrong or bad and I think the Habs organization has made its bed precisely how they wanted. Much like the Bergevin-Timmins regime, these guys Bobrov-Lapointe-Hughes stick with their convictions and do not particularly second-guess themselves when it comes to expectations. Confidence without results, however, is arrogance. We'll see which it is with Hughes.

I won't even try to shoe-horn the "D-2" comment but suffice to say I believe Hughes simply wasn't interested in Michkov. Time will tell if we have a confident manager or an arrogant one, and at this rate we should know pretty quick.

If Mich produces and RB doesn’t- Hughes will be absolutely waxed in the media. One thing I’ll say for him, he at least has some courage. If last year didn’t prove it, this year does.

 

[SlafySZN]

Delete

 

[Schooner Guy]

No need to publish. Just have some ‘poteaux’ like Arpon, Renaud, Luc and some social media freaks do the job. Prep the room.

I don't know about Renaud and Luc but Arpon did prep the room for many weeks...even after the interview with Michkov.

Even in this forum, there was all kinds of discussion that the Habs likely wouldn't take him and many still acted like they got blindsided and their first born was stolen.

It's a very challenging task to calm these waters in today's society. People are so accustomed to venting publicly, instantly and often anonymously about every little thing that doesn't go right in their lives. Social media has provided a platform for the dumbest cliques from our high school days to rip into the work that former honours students and high achievers who are now professionals and specialists in their areas are doing. In the past you would never see or hear of members of these cliques again after graduation.

The Habs could certainly use your solutions though if you have any.

 

[ReHabs]

Devil’s advocate here: Not only does Reinbacker shore up the D, he helps Hutson coming in and he’ll help the goalies tremendously.

If Mich produces and RB doesn’t- Hughes will be absolutely waxed in the media. One thing I’ll say for him, he at least has some courage. If last year didn’t prove it, this year does.

I guess we didn't need to draft a Dman with any of our picks last year... how strange is that?

I think the Habs felt Reinbacher was as good or even better than Michkov, so notwithstanding the top4 they had their minds made. It goes against the general consensus but nobody's ever said the Habs organization is not self-confident. Self-confidence without results, however, is macho arrogance. I get a whiff of that with Hughes already that's for sure. Let's hope we see the right results. Reinbacher isn't a 1OA, he wasn't even the consensus 5OA -- it is far from guaranteed that he makes it and becomes an impact player in the NHL. The Habs certainly think he will though, so we should hope it happens.

If Mich makes it the only people who'll suffer will be Habs fans; Hughes will move on, Bobrov will move on, and water will brush off the duck's back and flow under the bridge.

 

[SlafySZN]

I don't know about Renaud and Luc but Arpon did prep the room for many weeks...even after the interview with Michkov.

Even in this forum, there was all kinds of discussion that the Habs likely wouldn't take him and many still acted like they got blindsided and their first born was stolen.

It's a very challenging task to calm these waters in today's society. People are so accustomed to venting publicly, instantly and often anonymously about every little thing that doesn't go right in their lives. Social media has provided a platform for the dumbest cliques from our high school days to rip into the work that former honours students and high achievers who are now professionals and specialists in their areas are doing. In the past you would never see or hear of members of these cliques again after graduation.

The Habs could certainly use your solutions though if you have any.

100%

Basu said it for weeks that Michkov was not likely.

 

[ReHabs]

He cares about building the best team. And that’s how it should be.

This was said in defence of every GM ever. It's pablum.

Results matters. Our best point producer last year got less than half the points of the NHL's leading scorer. We're critically flawed in talent and scoring ability -- it is a five alarm fire, imo. But obviously Hughes disagrees.

They are being declared incompetent muppets for selecting one player over the other.

Small events and decisions add up to make a picture. The honeymoon phase is over, and with a loud bang. Hughes is standing pat in free agency so it's not likely results will be much different next season. Expect a finish ahead of 5th last but out of the playoffs.

There will be more criticism of Hughes and I think it's perfectly good and healthy. Some will go overboard with their criticism and others will go overboard with the positivity ("toxic positivity"). Who cares?

It was a controversial draft pick, there will be controversy. Notwithstanding the harassment of the player online, which has been a tempest in a teapot, what's the problem?

 

[Harry Kakalovich]

No need to publish. Just have some ‘poteaux’ like Arpon, Renaud, Luc and some social media freaks do the job. Prep the room.

Hockey is not a vacuum in Mtl. It is closely tied to the PR game.

The one that understood that was Donald Beauchamp. Had warts. But had experience reading the room.

Look at most politicians: they announce stuff without doing it. They throw what we call ‘des ballons sondes’. Monday mornings are great for that. A beat reporter announced something. They test the waters and they see the reaction. Positive or oblivious? They go ahead. Unpopular, they chamge their verbatim.

Unions are the same: what day do they try and make noise traditionally? Sundays. Why? Slow news day, they’ll get better coverage. All about social issues is on Sundays.

Hey listen - I'm sure you are a nice guy and so I'll try to put this nicely and spare the sarcasm. Prep the room, so to speak.

You say you are a comms genius, so you probably already know this.

By blaming the Habs for creating conditions that led to the death threats against a teenager, you are implicitly condoning the people who actual sent death threats to him.

Here's a better angle, and I suggest you adopt it. It is absolutely unacceptable to send death threats to people, online or otherwise, or to harass or abuse anybody. Absolutely unacceptable. No exceptions.

Cheers buddy! If you disagree we'll have to agree to disagree. Take care!

 

[BaseballCoach]

100%

Basu said it for weeks that Michkov was not likely.

He appears to be a Caufield plus, though a touch slower and lighter. Caufield went 15th, Michkov 7th. No big deal.

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

People here were saying Michkov was a absolute slam dunk guarantee 120 point superstar Guy Lafleur. I swear to f***ing god someone claimed his floor was a 100 point player.

Nobody said that and only one poster compared him to Lafleur and that poster is widely known to go off the rails.

You're trying to extrapolate a single poster into a crowd.

 

[OnTheRun]

This was said in defence of every GM ever. It's pablum.

Results matters. Our best point producer last year got less than half the points of the NHL's leading scorer. We're critically flawed in talent and scoring ability -- it is a five alarm fire, imo. But obviously Hughes disagrees.

They can't be oblivious to the flaw. Because they just can't.
They disagree that Michkov was the guy to address that flaw.

 

[Tripledeke333]

Marner have nhl stats, Michkov have none. It would be good for Michkov to be 90% of Marner.
Marner goes (sometimes) in nhl corners, he plays vs opposition bigger guys than him.

It also would be good if Reinbecker was 90% of Hanifin, so the comparison still stands.

 

[dinodebino]

Hey listen - I'm sure you are a nice guy and so I'll try to put this nicely and spare the sarcasm. Prep the room, so to speak.

You say you are a comms genius, so you probably already know this.

By blaming the Habs for creating conditions that led to the death threats against a teenager, you are implicitly condoning the people who actual sent death threats to him.

Here's a better angle, and I suggest you adopt it. It is absolutely unacceptable to send death threats to people, online or otherwise, or to harass or abuse anybody. Absolutely unacceptable. No exceptions.

Cheers buddy! If you disagree we'll have to agree to disagree. Take care!

I DO think it’s downright criminal. They should prosecute them. Unfortunately, Twitter et al is the far west now.

Comms wise, they could have prevented most of the intense reactions. That is my take.

 

[Schooner Guy]

This was said in defence of every GM ever. It's pablum.

Results matters. Our best point producer last year got less than half the points of the NHL's leading scorer. We're critically flawed in talent and scoring ability -- it is a five alarm fire, imo. But obviously Hughes disagrees.

Vegas's top scorer also had less than half the point of the NHL's leading scorer. They ended up raising the Cup and they beat the NHL's leading scorer's team head-to-head.

Do you know the best way to create offense? With a strong transition game. This all begins with a mobile defense that has poise, IQ and strong puck movement.

Rome wasn't built in a day. Also our young core players haven't stopped developing and most are far from their prime.

 

[BaseballCoach]

Our best point producer last year got less than half the points of the NHL's leading scorer. We're critically flawed in talent and scoring ability -- it is a five alarm fire, imo. But obviously Hughes disagrees.

Matheson was hurt most of the time that Caufield played. Monahan went down and took the balance out of the attack at a time when Suzuki was ppg.

Give Suzuki and Caufield 3 top D tilting the ice and a linemate that is worthy of the role, while Dach sucks up some attention - and Suzi probably gets close to 100 points and Caufield 50 goals.

 

[ahmedou]

 

[Runner77]

I DO think it’s downright criminal. They should prosecute them. Unfortunately, Twitter et al is the far west now.

Comms wise, they could have prevented most of the intense reactions. That is my take.

I love it how you’re completely oblivious to having been dubbed a “comms genius”.

 

[ReHabs]

Vegas's top scorer also had less than half the point of the NHL's leading scorer. They ended up raising the Cup and they beat the NHL's leading scorer's team head-to-head.

Do you know the best way to create offense? With a strong transition game. This all begins with a mobile defense that has poise, IQ and strong puck movement.

Rome wasn't built in a day. Also our young core players haven't stopped developing and most are far from their prime.

Why do you people keep repeating this? Jack Eichel was point per game, he's an elite forward. Mark Stone was just under PPG, he's an elite forward. Both got 0.99 and 0.88 PPG despite suffering through painful injury + rehab. They're elite forwards and showed it in the playoffs. We don't have such players.

Your poetic description of a mobile defence should've come in handy last year when the Hughes didn't draft Nemec and Jiricek, both excellent defensive prospects, in favour of Slafkovsky the forward with questionable hockey IQ. I guess a strong transition game didn't factor into the strategy last year but it does this year, so as long as you can be on the right side of the events you can find a way to be right.

 

[Kennerback]

Hey listen - I'm sure you are a nice guy and so I'll try to put this nicely and spare the sarcasm. Prep the room, so to speak.

You say you are a comms genius, so you probably already know this.

By blaming the Habs for creating conditions that led to the death threats against a teenager, you are implicitly condoning the people who actual sent death threats to him.

Here's a better angle, and I suggest you adopt it. It is absolutely unacceptable to send death threats to people, online or otherwise, or to harass or abuse anybody. Absolutely unacceptable. No exceptions.

Cheers buddy! If you disagree we'll have to agree to disagree. Take care!

If a dad knowingly let’s a kid go in a Crips neighbourhood wearing red and the kid gets killed, by even suggesting that the dad should have been careful, you condone murder. Then you throw yourself in dramatic play-acting on how murder is unjustified in every which way. 11th grade Sophistry class: D-

 

[dinodebino]

I love it how you’re completely oblivious to having been dubbed a “comms genius”.

Well, I think it was sarcasm. I didn’t really care about it.

I understand his point of view. My brain is wired differently. I see the flaws in a comms plan like someone scientist would see a flaw in a space shuttle that explodes and kills 8 astronauts. Not that they don’t care about the astronauts, but they think more about the why. Same here. Poor David, Daniel or the other first name Dave Stubbs gave him, is truly affected. You could see it in his scrum today.

And worse: other players might rethink their association with a market like Mtl because of the situation.

Love this. Grassroots positive reaction. Again, Habfan helping this organisation, because its PR game sucks. Saving its ass for more than 110 years.

 

[salbutera]

Several posts before the draft said there could be issues for the club and the player drafted if you pass on an elite player. If you do, marketing needs to be top notch.

Typical answer from the club confederates on this board was to skirt the question entirely saying if you think HuGo will be influenced by the public you don’t know them.

PS: Another PR issue will be the Mailloux Bettman review to see if he has the character to join the NHL. Let’s hope the club does better. If not, good times ahead.

The issue is HuGo cannot come out and say publicly Orville Redenbacher is an elite player even though it’s clearly obvious the org believes he is - above all else the #1 priority is to manage this bipolar markets expectations

 

[Favster]

That's a real fan!

This is awesome. Well done

 

[Kennerback]

The issue is HuGo cannot come out and say publicly Orville Redenbacher is an elite player even though it’s clearly obvious the org believes he is - above all else the #1 priority is to manage this bipolar markets expectations

You were talking about lowering expectations being a good business practice. I agree in the abstract, but there’s more factors in play here.

I thought they could have given hope to Habs fans in Wickenheiser’s abilities when Savard was crushing it. By not pumping his tires a little, it became a marketing disaster.

 

[Schooner Guy]

Why do you people keep repeating this? Jack Eichel was point per game, he's an elite forward. Mark Stone was just under PPG, he's an elite forward. Both got 0.99 and 0.88 PPG despite suffering through painful injury + rehab. They're elite forwards and showed it in the playoffs. We don't have such players.

Your poetic description of a mobile defence should've come in handy last year when the Hughes didn't draft Nemec and Jiricek, both excellent defensive prospects, in favour of Slafkovsky the forward with questionable hockey IQ. I guess a strong transition game didn't factor into the strategy last year but it does this year, so as long as you can be on the right side of the events you can find a way to be right.

I'm pretty sure it's the first time I've said this about Vegas but if you can find another post where I did say it, please share.

It's awesome that you're already writing off the only 18 year on the planet to play more than 8 games in the NHL last year. Just pure awesomeness!