Prospect Info: David Reinbacher

[Retired]

Our prospect pool is pretty pedestrian imo. I don’t see a sure thing in the entire group outside these 3. I like Reinbacher, Hutson, maillioux, and I think they all have potential to be contributors. Forward, we have nothing exciting, zero.

Not sure Hughes disagrees with his “we expect more from Suzuki, Caufield and Dach” comments

It’s much more likely we don’t. I’m excited for the group too, but we’ve seen this before where we way overhype our group.

I remember when Higgins, SK, AK, latender etc were all the next great things and some of them carved out careers, none of them move the needle.

Having most of the team come through the org has a positive budget/planning incidence though; even if the prospects average out talent wise.

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

I'd say those are respectable points, but I also think that Subban and Price showed us that having a star goalie and defenseman just isn't enough. You need those guys who can score the clutch goal when you need it. You need that offensive superstar.

You're not wrong on the reclamation projects or the Jack Eichel-type situations, but those really are few and far between. Rangers don't seem to be willing to give up on Laf, nor should they really. The draft really is where you usually get those guys. I really think we blew it on this one.

I’m not saying you don’t need an offensive superstar but did PK and Price really have the rosters?

Most of the time those 2 played together we had DD and Pleks as our top2 centres. And the era of Pleks completely forgetting how to pass. Who knows how Suzuki and Dach pan out but at least they’re trending well enough.

I get your point but those 2 got a lot out of some pretty mediocre line ups. So far they have more playoff success than McJesus and Drai.

I can’t remember but did you want Michkov? Are you really that sold on him?
If you are then try to convince me that he’s that much more a better prospect and more a sure thing and shifts the needle far greater than Reinbacher. I’m being genuine. I want to know if I’m genuinely missing something here.

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

It’s much more likely we don’t. I’m excited for the group too, but we’ve seen this before where we way overhype our group.

I remember when Higgins, SK, AK, latender etc were all the next great things and some of them carved out careers, none of them move the needle.

Yeah but you’d have to believe that we can just never draft good prospects just because the Higgins core didn’t pan out.

And the thing was that those guys were pretty damn good until pretty much all of them flat out regressed when they should’ve been in their prime. Higgins was unreal that one year. AK and SK looked great with Lang.

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

A true blue top pairing RD are almost (if not quite but close enough) as hard to come by as an elite winger. And that hole was as gaping in our roster as an elite winger even more so imo

Would anyone honestly bet on Mailloux or Barron having the defensive acumen to be that guy over one of Caufield, Suzuki, Dach and Slaf becoming an elite offensive talent.

Screw it lets just say Caufield. Who would bet on Mailloux over Caufield? Would any NHL GM take that bet and how fast would you want them fired if they did?

And how many times does a really good D core with middling offense win out over offensive juggernauts with poor blue lines in the playoffs? Throughout the history of NHL cups?

Ideally you want both but if you’d have to pick one over the other it’s D every time for me.

 

[JianYang]

I think you are being somewhat pessimistic.

Slafkovsky at 19 is still a prospect and should slot into the top six with more seasoning.

Mailloux has real offensive-D talent.

Joshua Roy looks like he will be a solid second-liner. Trusted by his coaches everywhere he plays, upward of 20-25 goals per year is certainly envisionable in the future.

Jayden Struble has legs and muscle, and might be the next Romanov, with better IQ. Or maybe even McDonagh.

Heineman is big and fast, competes well, and is likely to be a middle six forward.

Farrell has a chance to be a real point producer, based on his intelligence and how he dominated the NCAA, plus looked good in international competitions. Sure, he might not hit his potential, but the upside is definitely there.

One of Dobes or Fowler might be a #1 goalie down the road.

Kidney racked up the points in Junior. Potential is there, but I see a smaller chance of hitting it than some of the others.

Engstrom and Kapanen may surprise people, especially Engstrom. Would love to see these guys in Laval by next season.

Mcdonagh in his prime was a solid 1D. I wish struble the best but he isn't going to hit that mark.

 

[JianYang]

A true blue top pairing RD are almost (if not quite but close enough) as hard to come by as an elite winger. And that hole was as gaping in our roster as an elite winger even more so imo

Would anyone honestly bet on Mailloux or Barron having the defensive acumen to be that guy over one of Caufield, Suzuki, Dach and Slaf becoming an elite offensive talent.

Screw it lets just say Caufield. Who would bet on Mailloux over Caufield? Would any NHL GM take that bet and how fast would you want them fired if they did?

And how many times does a really good D core with middling offense win out over offensive juggernauts with poor blue lines in the playoffs? Throughout the history of NHL cups?

Ideally you want both but if you’d have to pick one over the other it’s D every time for me.

Show me a cup winner, and I'll show you a top end center . It is damn near compulsory to have a top tier center. I mean, the examples to support this are endless, but let's just take the Knights since they are the most recent.

They have had a strong team since inception and went on some deep playoff runs, but they ultimately fell short each time. They never had a top center until Eichel came in, and they just finally got over the hump. You can't win with chandler Stephenson in that role.

A strong D core with a middling offense? Sounds like the nashville predators for a good portion of their existence.

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

Show me a cup winner, and I'll show you a top end center . It is damn near compulsory to have a top tier center. I mean, the examples to support this are endless, but let's just take the Knights since they are the most recent.

They have had a strong team since inception and wenton some deep playoff runs, but they ultimately fell short each time. They never had a top center until Eichel came in, and they just finally got over the hump. You can't win with chandler Stephenson in that role.

A strong D core with a middling offense? Sounds like the nashville predators for a good portion of their existence.

again, as opposed to an offensive juggernaut with poor D?

I'd sooner go to war with Suzuki and Dach in my top 6 as opposed to Mailloux and Barron being on my right side Top 4. Suzuki did a helluva impersonation of a top C in that Cup run in his 2nd year in the league.

I'm even willing to say that he might just be short of a top end C AT THE MOMENT. But with a guy like Dach behind him who can easily be just as good I feel pretty good about that combo. Especially as our wingers can still get a lot better too. There's still a ton of unrealized potential in that group. It could still fall short but it has more promise and real world results than our D on the right side before the addition of Reinbacher. It's not even close imo

 

[BLONG7]

Show me a cup winner, and I'll show you a top end center . It is damn near compulsory to have a top tier center. I mean, the examples to support this are endless, but let's just take the Knights since they are the most recent.

They have had a strong team since inception and went on some deep playoff runs, but they ultimately fell short each time. They never had a top center until Eichel came in, and they just finally got over the hump. You can't win with chandler Stephenson in that role.

A strong D core with a middling offense? Sounds like the nashville predators for a good portion of their existence.

Good points, but s recent as 2011 the Bruins won the cup mostly because of a goalie, but their top 2 centres had 62 and 57 pt seasons.....and one winger with a 62 pt season............the three players were Krejchi, Bergeron and Looch.........not sure where the Bruins offense was ranked that year, but probably very middle of the road with those numbers....

You can still win the Cup with a cast of doing this by committee, but it's very hard....

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

Good points, but s recent as 2011 the Bruins won the cup mostly because of a goalie, but their top 2 centres had 62 and 57 pt seasons.....and one winger with a 62 pt season............the three players were Krejchi, Bergeron and Looch.........not sure where the Bruins offense was ranked that year, but probably very middle of the road with those numbers....

You can still win the Cup with a cast of doing this by committee, but it's very hard....

Not as hard as doing it without a legit D core though!

 

[JianYang]

Good points, but s recent as 2011 the Bruins won the cup mostly because of a goalie, but their top 2 centres had 62 and 57 pt seasons.....and one winger with a 62 pt season............the three players were Krejchi, Bergeron and Looch.........not sure where the Bruins offense was ranked that year, but probably very middle of the road with those numbers....

You can still win the Cup with a cast of doing this by committee, but it's very hard....

I think Bergeron and kjreci was a good 1-2 punch, and Bergeron brings much more to the table than points. He's going to the hall of fame, and he should be considered a top tier center.

I think a big reason for Boston's early demise this year was Bergeron not being healthy.

They were vulnerable at center with an aging center unit, and Bergeron just happened to get hurt at the wrong time.

 

[JianYang]

again, as opposed to an offensive juggernaut with poor D?

I'd sooner go to war with Suzuki and Dach in my top 6 as opposed to Mailloux and Barron being on my right side Top 4. Suzuki did a helluva impersonation of a top C in that Cup run in his 2nd year in the league.

I'm even willing to say that he might just be short of a top end C AT THE MOMENT. But with a guy like Dach behind him who can easily be just as good I feel pretty good about that combo. Especially as our wingers can still get a lot better too. There's still a ton of unrealized potential in that group. It could still fall short but it has more promise and real world results than our D on the right side before the addition of Reinbacher. It's not even close imo

You're not winning a cup with a poor anything, but I rate center ahead in terms of importance.

 

[McGuires Corndog]

I think Bergeron and kjreci was a good 1-2 punch, and Bergeron brings much more to the table than points. He's going to the hall of fame, and he should be considered a top tier center.

I think a big reason for Boston's early demise this year was Bergeron not being healthy.

They were vulnerable at center with an aging center unit, and Bergeron just happened to get hurt at the wrong time.

If Dach can hit his potential I don’t think Suzuki-Dach is much of a downgrade (if at all) to the Bergeron-Krejci Bruins.

Collectively if Guhle, Barron, Reinbacher, Hutson and Mailloux all hit the medium/high end of their potential our D core would be so good we would not need a McDavid level Centre to build a contender.

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

If Dach can hit his potential I don’t think Suzuki-Dach is much of a downgrade (if at all) to the Bergeron-Krejci Bruins.

Collectively if Guhle, Barron, Reinbacher, Hutson and Mailloux all hit the medium/high end of their potential our D core would be so good we would not need a McDavid level Centre to build a contender.

Give Suzuki a full year of Caufield and a good complimentary guy on there (I think we have a few guys who could fill that slot within) with that D (which would mean better transition and PP) and you’re telling me he can’t score a measly 15 points more than he did with this injury riddled line up?

And this is all without adding anything significant. His playoff pedigree up to now, including that last junior year, is outstanding. He’s got ice in his veins and is a winner through and through. And again I don’t think Dach could be that far behind.

To me the C situation is the least of our worries. That top pairing on the right side was a HUGE hole. One that would not be easily filled. The fact we drafted a guy who could very well take that spot and still could easily be BPA in a re-draft down the road was a god send.

 

[Twisted Sinister]

I’m not saying you don’t need an offensive superstar but did PK and Price really have the rosters?

Most of the time those 2 played together we had DD and Pleks as our top2 centres. And the era of Pleks completely forgetting how to pass. Who knows how Suzuki and Dach pan out but at least they’re trending well enough.

I get your point but those 2 got a lot out of some pretty mediocre line ups. So far they have more playoff success than McJesus and Drai.

I can’t remember but did you want Michkov? Are you really that sold on him?
If you are then try to convince me that he’s that much more a better prospect and more a sure thing and shifts the needle far greater than Reinbacher. I’m being genuine. I want to know if I’m genuinely missing something here.

The fact that PK and Price didn't have the rosters is exactly what I'm saying. To get the type of offensive firepower you need to complement a PK and Price, you have to draft them.

Regarding McJesus and Drai, they are now part of a perennial contender. Our playoff success was always a random unrepeatable fluke. Skinner screwed them last year. It got to a point where almost everything was going in. No one can win in that suituation. Give them at least a respectable goalie and we might be singing different tune about them this year.

To answer your question, yes, I think Michkov is a better prospect than Reinbacher. I think he's the second-best prospect in the draft while Reinbacher was a late-rising 2-way defenseman that squeaked into the top 10 and I believe was overvalued due to him being the best defenseman in a weak draft for D. I'm not sold on him. Here are my issues:

-He doesn't have the size to be dominant (He's 6'2", not 6'7" Victor Hedman)
-He's physical in that he goes into corners and battles, but he's not physical at all in the punishing sense
-His offensive upside is questionable. His shot is decent and his passing is ok, but I don't see high-end offensive decision-making going on there.
-To give him his due, his skating is pretty good.

Now, Michkov has his deficiencies as well. He's not big (though he acquits himself well in corners and puck battles), his skating is average and he gets lost in his zone a la Will Smith. However, the offensive instinct is chess-master level, the puck skills are out of this world, and the shot is a laser.

I usually find elite skill translates to the NHL better than just being ok at everything. Reinbacher's profile worries me because there's nothing about his game that screams dominant #1 defenseman... And you shouldn't be drafting just Ok players at 5 overall.

 

[montreal]

Goal - 5:07

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

The fact that PK and Price didn't have the rosters is exactly what I'm saying. To get the type of offensive firepower you need to complement a PK and Price, you have to draft them.

Regarding McJesus and Drai, they are now part of a perennial contender. Our playoff success was always a random unrepeatable fluke. Skinner screwed them last year. It got to a point where almost everything was going in. No one can win in that suituation. Give them at least a respectable goalie and we might be singing different tune about them this year.

To answer your question, yes, I think Michkov is a better prospect than Reinbacher. I think he's the second-best prospect in the draft while Reinbacher was a late-rising 2-way defenseman that squeaked into the top 10 and I believe was overvalued due to him being the best defenseman in a weak draft for D. I'm not sold on him. Here are my issues:

-He doesn't have the size to be dominant (He's 6'2", not 6'7" Victor Hedman)
-He's physical in that he goes into corners and battles, but he's not physical at all in the punishing sense
-His offensive upside is questionable. His shot is decent and his passing is ok, but I don't see high-end offensive decision-making going on there.
-To give him his due, his skating is pretty good.

Now, Michkov has his deficiencies as well. He's not big (though he acquits himself well in corners and puck battles), his skating is average and he gets lost in his zone a la Will Smith. However, the offensive instinct is chess-master level, the puck skills are out of this world, and the shot is a laser.

I usually find elite skill translates to the NHL better than just being ok at everything. Reinbacher's playoff profile worries me because there's nothing about his game that screams dominant #1 defenseman... And you shouldn't be drafting just Ok players at 5 overall.

More so I meant that those centres were god awful. Nothing like what we have now or could potentially have. Can’t compare Pleks and DD with Suzuki and Dach.

That’s actually not a bad comparison of the two prospects honestly. I won’t take too much issue there.

I think saying he could be ‘ok’ is a bit rich. If he becomes a top pairing #2 guy which is absolutely possible that’s not an ‘ok’ player. Getting a ‘dominant #1’ with a 5th shouldn’t be our floor. Especially with someone as question mark-y as Michkov being the other option that is somehow orders of magnitude better than the one we took.

I seriously doubt Reinbacher will ever be in the running for a Norris. But a quiet low profile #1 is within reach. You can’t find too many D men do what he did against men. The sum is greater than the parts with this kid

 

[BehindTheTimes]

Not as hard as doing it without a legit D core though!

Pittsburg won a cup without Letang in the lineup. That was probably the worst d corp to win one for awhile. Even with Letang that group was nothing to write home about.

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

Pittsburg won a cup without Letang in the lineup. That was probably the worst d corp to win one for awhile. Even with Letang that group was nothing to write home about.

That’s unicorn rare though

 

[BehindTheTimes]

His offensive upside scares me. I’m not sure I see it.

 

[Miller Time]

Pittsburg won a cup without Letang in the lineup. That was probably the worst d corp to win one for awhile. Even with Letang that group was nothing to write home about.

Amazing what 2 HOF C's & a HOF W still in their prime can do for a franchise, no?

 

[Twisted Sinister]

More so I meant that those centres were god awful. Nothing like what we have now or could potentially have. Can’t compare Pleks and DD with Suzuki and Dach.

That’s actually not a bad comparison of the two prospects honestly. I won’t take too much issue there.

I think saying he could be ‘ok’ is a bit rich. If he becomes a top pairing #2 guy which is absolutely possible that’s not an ‘ok’ player. Getting a ‘dominant #1’ with a 5th shouldn’t be our floor. Especially with someone as question mark-y as Michkov being the other option that is somehow orders of magnitude better than the one we took.

I seriously doubt Reinbacher will ever be in the running for a Norris. But a quiet low profile #1 is within reach. You can’t find too many D men do what he did against men. The sum is greater than the parts with this kid

Fair enough on the Centers... We'll see where Dach ends up and if he can stay healthy.

With regards to him being ok, that's just my evaluation based on his tools as compared to other top NHL defensemen. As @BehindTheTimes said, I'm not sure I see the offensive upside in his game and, on my end, I'm not even sure that a guy at his size, with the way he defends and very little mean physicality to his game, is going to bring a lot of versatility at the NHL level. Shutdown guys are a lot easier to find outside the draft than elite offensive talent.

As to his floor, it depends what was left on the table. This was a forward-heavy draft. If we left a 100-point guy on the table for an ok top-pairing guy, that's a massive, massive fail, especially in the context of this franchise playing boring-as-paint-drying hockey for 30 years and being allergic to offense.

 

[Twisted Sinister]

Pittsburg won a cup without Letang in the lineup. That was probably the worst d corp to win one for awhile. Even with Letang that group was nothing to write home about.

I would say that it's highly unlikely to win a cup without a good defensive core, and it's highly unlikely to win a cup without elite offensive talent. Usually, the plurality of the teams that win have both. My issue with this team is that our cupboards on defense were way more stocked than what we had at forward, which is quite Mid to be honest. It's almost as if Habs fans are never allowed to have fun.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

It’s much more likely we don’t. I’m excited for the group too, but we’ve seen this before where we way overhype our group.

I remember when Higgins, SK, AK, latender etc were all the next great things and some of them carved out careers, none of them move the needle.

We probably would’ve had the best blueline in the league but we dealt away McDonnaugh for a bag of hammers. Imagine him with Petry and the top pairing…

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

I think they make it, but there’s no guarantees in life. Our forward group is where we need help and there isn’t much coming.

Again… our new GM just took over. Our blueline is stacked with prospects. He’ll now probably spend more energy on shoring up the forwards. But he’s added Slaf, Dach, Beck, Mesar and Newhook inside a year and a half. That’s not nothing.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

I would say that it's highly unlikely to win a cup without a good defensive core, and it's highly unlikely to win a cup without elite offensive talent. Usually, the plurality of the teams that win have both. My issue with this team is that our cupboards on defense were way more stocked than what we had at forward, which is quite Mid to be honest. It's almost as if Habs fans are never allowed to have fun.

Year and a half in…

Unfortunate that we draft first in a sketchy year but last year’s draft was killer. I think he’s done well with what we’ve had to work with so far.