Prospect Info: David Reinbacher

[MTL Dirty Birdy]

I was thinking about that Hutson/Reinbacher pairing. Seems to fit a lot and many of us like it. However, I was considering what we would do if that pairing didn't work? For now, it fits if it's AHL. Later on? We will see. We could put Guhle and Reinbacher on the same pairing and that would be our shutdown pairing.

A few different combos we can tinker with in the next few years.

Guhle / Reinbacher: Shutdown guys who can play well at both ends but against the top lines from other teams. Lots of in zone starts (5/5).

Xhekaj / Mailloux: I like the potential of this pairing. Too early to know yet but they did play very well together in the AHL last year.

Hutson / Mailloux: Great mobility and skill/skating, and a pairing you want to be starting 60% or more on the offensive end.

Hutson / Engstrom: If Hutson struggles in the sheltered area (own zone) and we want to limit his 5/5 time, maybe we try this as a bottom pairing. Hutson gets his extra time on the PP and maybe you play him both PP units. I believe Engstrom can play opposite side?

Hutson / Xhekaj: Xhekaj has played RD at times. Good physical protection for Hutson if Xhekaj matures and becomes a trusted guy in his own zone.

I like Reinbacher with either Hutson but if not, Guhle is a good fit if we want a shutdown pairing.

Guhle and RB together would be a formidable and VERY mobile D Pairing. As teams in the Atlantic get older( TB/FLA/BOS) I can see them being a nightmare to play against. Absolutely suffocating

 

[Habs Halifax]

Guhle and RB together would be a formidable and VERY mobile D Pairing. As teams in the Atlantic get older( TB/FLA/BOS) I can see them being a nightmare to play against. Absolutely suffocating

It's what I see as well. Lots of us looking at the Hutson/Reinbacher pairing but Guhle/Reinbacher is something that can shut you down and move the puck.

Hutson might have to be bottom pairing but play both PP units. We will see. Xhekaj appears to fit well with Mailloux but he could fit well with Hutson too. He has played some RD.

When creating our pairings in the future, we have to ensure we are not open to holes in the match-up game. Guhle/Reinbacher would be able to go up against any top line.

Guhle / Reinbacher
Engstrom / Mailloux
Hutson / Xhekaj

If Engstrom doesn't develop well, we might have to find another D in the next draft or two. Adding Demidov and Hage really did balance out our forward group IMO. You could move Xhekaj to be with Mailloux and find a RD for Hutson.

Not sure where Barron is in the next few years. I'm not as low on him as I am with Harris. Barron still has potential but he has to start to show signs of maturity/trust in his own end. It's the only thing lacking in his game IMO.

We are going to find out a lot more with our D group after this season.

 

[MTL Dirty Birdy]

It's what I see as well. Lots of us looking at the Hutson/Reinbacher pairing but Guhle/Reinbacher is something that can shut you down and move the puck.

Hutson might have to be bottom pairing but play both PP units. We will see. Xhekaj appears to fit well with Mailloux but he could fit well with Hutson too. He has played some RD.

When creating our pairings in the future, we have to ensure we are not open to holes in the match-up game. Guhle/Reinbacher would be able to go up against any top line.

Guhle / Reinbacher
Engstrom / Mailloux
Hutson / Xhekaj

That D corps has so much balance and offensive upside. The future looks bright for us there. Engstrom is a total sleeper and I can’t wait for more Habs fans to come around and see why RB was drafted 5th overall. I’m really high on him ever since he got my attention at the WJC two years ago on a shit Austria team.

 

[Habs Halifax]

That D corps has so much balance and offensive upside. The future looks bright for us there. Engstrom is a total sleeper and I can’t wait for more Habs fans to come around and see why RB was drafted 5th overall. I’m really high on him ever since he got my attention at the WJC two years ago on a shit Austria team.

No doubt... lots to like with your youth but we need the development to go well. And then you consider that we own all of our picks and more! Still room to add more talent.

What I will say is depth will not be an issue for us. We won't have to sign over the hill UFA's to fill holes which hurts the cap strategy.

 

[SannywithoutCompy]

In more than 95% of the draft in the history of the NHL, there was at least one defenseman picked top 5. Often picked before 5, and often two or more in the top 5.

So lets make it clear again if it wasnt obvious already.

Reinbacher at 5 is not a reach.

Even if in our own opinion he is nothing more than a 2nd pairing defensive dman and Michkov is already a perennial 100 points player.

By every objective metrics, Reinbacher was picked at his spot. I would even argue that a top RD like him is seldom available at 5 overall. (2021 no top RD available, 2022 Nemec 2nd OV, 2024 Levshunov 2nd OV, 2018-2019-2020 no top RD available in the top 5.)

***Notice how scarce the competent, top 4 RHD are relative to the LHD?****

It could be a blunder, if Michkov is a top 10 player in the NHL. There is an inherent risk with skipping a prospect like Michkov. But the fact remains that Reinbacher was picked at his spot at the draft.

2018 - Bouchard and Dobson were absolutely available in the top 5 but were not picked
2019 - Seider was available top 5, not picked

 

[MTL Dirty Birdy]

No doubt... lots to like with your youth but we need the development to go well. And then you consider that we own all of our picks and more! Still room to add more talent.

What I will say is depth will not be an issue for us. We won't have to sign over the hill UFA's to fill holes which hurts the cap strategy.

Agreed! One thing that HUGO has shown us, is they have a plan( unlike MB who loves saying he had one and didn’t). They’re patient, deliberate and shrewd. Just look at the draft- they trust themselves and don’t give in to pressure. Goalie situation? We can wait. Contract negotiations? Probably KH greatest strength.

As for development I agree as well. Since HUGo have arrived they’ve built up the development dept a lot, added Adm Nicholas a skills coach and also created an analytics department which was wayyyyyy overdue. I feel like they brought us into the 21st century haha

 

[Habs Halifax]

Agreed! One thing that HUGO has shown us, is they have a plan( unlike MB who loves saying he had one and didn’t). They’re patient, deliberate and shrewd. Just look at the draft- they trust themselves and don’t give in to pressure. Goalie situation? We can wait. Contract negotiations? Probably KH greatest strength.

As for development I agree as well. Since HUGo have arrived they’ve built up the development dept a lot, added Adm Nicholas a skills coach and also created an analytics department which was wayyyyyy overdue. I feel like they brought us into the 21st century haha

It's going to be interesting to look back in 3+ years to see how our hype/excitement looks at that point in time (What happens vs what we think/project today). How far off were we or were we spot on? There is good reason to be excited. This is not 2012 or 2017 type hype on a shallow pool.

 

[SannywithoutCompy]

really? nla is on par with shl and liiga and even gap with khl is shrinking since 2022.

NLA is NOT on par with SHL lmao, come on now.

I'm rooting for Reinbacher but let's not go making ridiculous statements.

 

[MTL Dirty Birdy]

2018 - Bouchard and Dobson were absolutely available in the top 5 but were not picked
2019 - Seider was available top 5, not picked

In all fairness none of them were ranked close to 5. I think Seder was ranked close 15, Dobson didn’t have nearly as rounded a game as RB and neither did Bouchard. Add to the fact that RB had the benefit of having played pro already

 

[SannywithoutCompy]

In all fairness none of them were ranked close to 5. I think Seder was ranked close 15, Dobson didn’t have nearly as rounded a game as RB and neither did Bouchard. Add to the fact that RB had the benefit of having played pro already

By the end of the year, Dobson had a much more rounded game than Reinbacher IMO. He wasn't playing pro but he was excellent to close out the year and had really come into his own offensively.

At draft time I take him over Reinbacher for sure.

 

[MTL Dirty Birdy]

By the end of the year, Dobson had a much more rounded game than Reinbacher IMO. He wasn't playing pro but he was excellent to close out the year and had really come into his own offensively.

At draft time I take him over Reinbacher for sure.

For myself, as soon as I have to compare juniors vs pros in terms of leagues, I lean pro. They’re literally a full year or two ahead in development. And you definitely see what those prospects are made of. In RB case, he played very well in the NL but was elite in the WJC when playing against his peers

 

[Jaynki]

2018 - Bouchard and Dobson were absolutely available in the top 5 but were not picked
2019 - Seider was available top 5, not picked

How are any of these selections looking?

 

[CHfan1]

In all fairness none of them were ranked close to 5. I think Seder was ranked close 15, Dobson didn’t have nearly as rounded a game as RB and neither did Bouchard. Add to the fact that RB had the benefit of having played pro already

In Bob McKenzie’s final rankings Dobson was 6th and Bouchard 7th (just behind Kotkaniemi who was 5th). Four of 10 scouts surveyed by TSN had Dobson in their top five.

 

[MTL Dirty Birdy]

In Bob McKenzie’s final rankings Dobson was 6th and Bouchard 7th (just behind Kotkaniemi who was 5th). Four of 10 scouts surveyed by TSN had Dobson in their top five.

Then how the hell did he drop nearly ten spots? Kotkaniemi was widely seen as a mid teen pick and a crazy reach. Although he played well at the U18s. He visibly was a poor skater. I grew Bobs list is the blueprint, but when 6/10 scouts don’t have Dobson in their top five, how did he have him ranked 6th?

 

[HuGort]

For Habs to get close to a Cup Reinbacher will need to excel.

 

[MTL Dirty Birdy]

For Habs to get close to a Cup Reinbacher will need to excel.

He will. Against his peers he stands out. He’s already had successful seasons playing top minutes in the pros as a teen. I feel he is seriously underrated by even the MTL fanbase

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

He will. Against his peers he stands out. He’s already had successful seasons playing top minutes in the pros as a teen. I feel he is seriously underrated by even the MTL fanbase

I wasn’t a huge fan of his D+1 overseas but people don’t seem to realize that he’s pretty rare in being a top D at that age in a men’s league.

People don’t realize he has elite pedigree and could very well be an extremely high end defender for us. It’s no lock but it’s closer to a probability than a possibility than most posters think. Many can’t see it because he’s not flashy. We got Hutson and Mailloux for that. Then again that 1st Pro NA goal of his should have shown people that he has more skill than they thought as well

 

[HuGort]

He will. Against his peers he stands out. He’s already had successful seasons playing top minutes in the pros as a teen. I feel he is seriously underrated by even the MTL fanbase

A #1 right D is usually pivotal on cup team

 

[Canadienna]

People don’t realize he has elite pedigree and could very well be an extremely high end defender for us. It’s no lock but it’s closer to a probability than a possibility than most posters think.

Couldn't he also end up as an Alzner type, or worse?

It's anecdotal, but it feels like the qualities that Reinbacher gets praise for is eerily similar to guys like Alzner (5th overall), Juolevi (5th overall), Broberg (8th overall) etc.

I've thought before that the guys who get labelled "safe" are actually often more risky than the players with some elite attribute.

I'm not trying to hate on Reinbacher, just explaining why I, and likely many others still have our doubts.

 

[le_sean]

Couldn't he also end up as an Alzner type, or worse?

It's anecdotal, but it feels like the qualities that Reinbacher gets praise for is eerily similar to guys like Alzner (5th overall), Juolevi (5th overall), Broberg (8th overall) etc.

I've thought before that the guys who get labelled "safe" are actually often more risky than the players with some elite attribute.

I'm not trying to hate on Reinbacher, just explaining why I, and likely many others still have our doubts.

Alzner was a bad skater that couldn’t move the puck. Basically the opposite of what Reinbacher is.

 

[Andrei79]

Couldn't he also end up as an Alzner type, or worse?

It's anecdotal, but it feels like the qualities that Reinbacher gets praise for is eerily similar to guys like Alzner (5th overall), Juolevi (5th overall), Broberg (8th overall) etc.

I've thought before that the guys who get labelled "safe" are actually often more risky than the players with some elite attribute.

I'm not trying to hate on Reinbacher, just explaining why I, and likely many others still have our doubts.

You should watch all of these players and you'll understand why this was an unnecessary post. These players are all nothing alike.

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

Couldn't he also end up as an Alzner type, or worse?

It's anecdotal, but it feels like the qualities that Reinbacher gets praise for is eerily similar to guys like Alzner (5th overall), Juolevi (5th overall), Broberg (8th overall) etc.

I've thought before that the guys who get labelled "safe" are actually often more risky than the players with some elite attribute.

I'm not trying to hate on Reinbacher, just explaining why I, and likely many others still have our doubts.

I don’t think ‘safe’ is a great descriptor of RB. It’s not WHOLLY incorrect but he’s not the safe type. He’s not a riverboat gambler but he will take the puck himself and rush it.

And again he’s not devoid of skill. He’s terrific in transition. Great passer. He was like .06 points away from Josi’s PPG at the same age. And it’s not like he was on an offensive powerhouse.

Look at the points he scored in the AHL during the toughest time of year as a 19 year old. He’s not Karlsson but he sure as hell isn’t Alzner. His offensive game is more effective than flashy but it’s there

Besides defending off the rush (needs work) he’s a defensive wiz.

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

You should watch all of these players and you'll understand why this was an unnecessary post. These players are all nothing alike.

Yeah wasn’t Broberg an athletic offensive player who had IQ concerns? High bust high ceiling? Seems to be trending to the former. I could be wrong about that.

Can’t remember Juolevi’s game when drafted so I can’t remember. But yeah these player comps don’t seem right to me.

 

[Hins77]

He will. Against his peers he stands out. He’s already had successful seasons playing top minutes in the pros as a teen. I feel he is seriously underrated by even the MTL fanbase

I watched some games of Laval with Reinbacher and he was the best Dman, even at 19 years old. And this is not because AHL is an easy league. He was supporting the offense. Made nice pass and his strong on the puck. To be that much important in the AHL is already showing that he is going to have a bright NHL career

 

[waitin425]

well....after seeing this....I'm convinced Rein was the right choice!

https://x.com/i/web/status/1818068021153513556