Too much emphasis is put on Michkov lethal offensive skills and Reinbacher "limited" potential as a top pair RD, not clear-cut bonafide 1D.
Lets get some facts straight, small winger are the easiest piece to acquire and when they don't produce offensively, their worth takes an enormous drop.
Top pairing, competent RD are only available at the top spots in a draft, and not even there in every draft. There is no other way to acquire them. They are the toughest pieces to find. Every single of the last 10 draft is an evidence of that. Chicago going Levshunov over Bedard elite linemate is an evidence of that. Toronto haven't been able to bring in such a pieces. Dallas three best Ds are LD and the evidence goes on and on. Heck, we are playing Guhle on the right side. Well, our own prospect pool of D is an evidence of it. Like 8 great LD, 2 great RD.
No top pair RD was available in the top 5 of the 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 draft. There were many star LD tho. 2022 draft have seen Nemec goes ahead of Cooley and Wright. 2024 have seen 3 RD above dman like Buium, Silayev and Dickinson.
I mean, its easy to get lost in the debate of superstar Michkov versus #2 Reinbacher. But we are building a f***ing hockey team and getting Reinbacher at 5 in 2023 might have been our only chance at a top pair RD for the next decade.
On the other hand, we got Demidov. Caufield fell to us all the way to 15 in 2019. Benson slipped to 13. DeBrincat was easily available. As good as Michkov is, way easier to acquire a player of his profile.
We will see how it evolves but unless Reinbacher flop massively, which is dubious, its tough to see how we are a loser in the 2023 draft.
I would bet my house that Toronto have dangled the likes of Marner and Nylander for years for a top pair RD and this trade was just not available.
Hughes made lunatics angry when he said that Reinbacher being a RD played an important part in their decision, and that if he was a LD they may have considered something else but man, is he f***ing right and does it hold a lot of weight that he is a RHD. Go figure.