Prospect Info: David Reinbacher

[Goldthorpe]

If I'm management, I'm entering that training camp with a clean state mindset. Aside from Matheson, Savard and Ghule, all the remaining 4 spots (including the 7th D) are wide open. We are reconstructing our D, and we need to identify and give opportunities to the best prospects we have.

There's a recency bias in thinking that the guys we have seen "make it" in the last few years - Xkekaj, Struble and Barron to name them, are necessarily higher in their development and "deserve" to have the benefit of the doubt and start their season in the big club. But these guys benefited from how bare our defensive depth was 3 years ago, they had a lot of opportunities compared to many other prospects in other teams, and compared to the new D prospects coming up now.

While they can always continue to develop, they are much closer to their peak than we might hope they are, and there's a danger in being too patient with them while keeping actually better players in the AHL on the excuse that it's good for their development. I get the idea , but in practice, you don't really learn how to play NHL hockey outside of the NHL.

I think we need to be ready for our own assessment of the D depth and pecking order to be drastically changed in the next two months. For example, I wouldn't be surprised at all if, by the end of training camp, Reinbacher or Mailloux or both make the team out of a strong showing, completely outshining Barron.

 

[LaP]

If I'm management, I'm entering that training camp with a clean state mindset. Aside from Matheson, Savard and Ghule, all the remaining 4 spots (including the 7th D) are wide open. We are reconstructing our D, and we need to identify and give opportunities to the best prospects we have.

There's a recency bias in thinking that the guys we have seen "make it" in the last few years - Xkekaj, Struble and Barron to name them, are necessarily higher in their development and "deserve" to have the benefit of the doubt and start their season in the big club. But these guys benefited from how bare our defensive depth was 3 years ago, they had a lot of opportunities compared to many other prospects in other teams, and compared to the new D prospects coming up now.

While they can always continue to develop, they are much closer to their peak than we might hope they are, and there's a danger in being too patient with them while keeping actually better players in the AHL on the excuse that it's good for their development. I get the idea , but in practice, you don't really learn how to play NHL hockey outside of the NHL.

I think we need to be ready for our own assessment of the D depth and pecking order to be drastically changed in the next two months. For example, I wouldn't be surprised at all if, by the end of training camp, Reinbacher or Mailloux or both make the team out of a strong showing, completely outshining Barron.

Barron will start the season in the NHL. If it's not in Montreal it will be with another team. He must go thru waiver and will 100% be claimed.

 

[Redux91]

I don’t see them giving away Barron

Matheson-Savard
Guhle-Reinbacher
Xhekaj-Barron
Struble

Is how I see it starting off

Oh wow
I don't think there's any chance they give a spot to Rein over Hutson to start the year
(But if I'm being honest I'd have Hutson-Reinbacher start off the year as 1st AHL pairing)
But I think it'll be
Matheson - Guhle (sigh)
Hutson - Savard
Xhekaj - Barron
Struble
to start off

But like you insinuated earlier
I don't see how Reinbacher isn't final cut tho
I think he shines hard in camp

 

[1909]

And 20 to 40 games in the AHL wouldn't hurt Hutson either. It's not a question of whether it would hurts it's a question of what is best, and if a player can handle playing and developing at the NHL level then it's almost always better to do that then to play in the AHL.

Chances are good that out of Xhekaj, Barron, Struble and Reinbacher that the best defensively is Reinbacher. He might be a rookie and will no doubt make some mistakes because of it but he's also very likely the best of that group.

And at the end of the day with Hutson, Mailloux, and Reinbacher all looking to make the team over the next 2 years we will be going with 2 rookies at some point, and to an extent the earlier the better.

I understand your points. But they have to bring them up by stages, not all together. They still have to test Baron’s abilities to play a NHL sound game. Xhekaj has to get better on D, and not only with his fists. I do prefer Guhle on the left side, but they are overload on that side. I would had kept Kovacevic as #7 d-man, even #6 over Baron. IF Reinbacker and or Mailloux are shining during the camp and pre-seasons games, I would not be against a trade involving Barron to get more forward’s depth. Savard might not be re-signed for next season(s).

 

[LaP]

Everyone seem to picture Struble as the guy who wont go down but he got only 22 games of AHL experience and doesn't have to go thru waiver so i could see him going down if two of Hutson, Mailloux and Reinbacher have a good camp. Those guys have much higher potential. Struble is kind of redundant since he's playing the same role as Xhekaj.

 

[Tyson]

I think he's going to be the biggest surprise at camp.

It would not surprise me

 

[417]

Barron and/or Arber starting the season in the rotating extra dman spot is definitely an option if two of the other young dmen are lights out at the big camp. It's not ideal, but it's just that deep of a position for us right now. It's a nice problem to have, in any case. I can also see a world where even Hutson is starting the season with Laval, Hughes kinda laid that seed already.

I don’t know why folks keep repeating that.

No player will make the team just exclusively for PP or PK.

He was asked if they would keep Hutson as a specialist and he responded with the most common sense answer to that, which is no.

I don’t think that’s an indication of where he’s going to play.

Hutson is almost 100% guaranteed to start the season with the Habs. Not Reinbacher.

I don’t know how it can be 100% (or even almost) when camp hasn’t even begun.

 

[1909]

Everyone seem to picture Struble as the guy you wont go down but he got only 22 games of AHL experience and doen't have to go thru waiver so i could see him going down if two of Hutson, Mailloux and Reinbacher have a good camp. Those guys have much higher potential. Struble is kind of redundant since he's playing the same role as Xhekaj.

If Xhekaj doesn’t improve his d-game, I would not be surprised to see him transferred to 4th line LW at Pezz’s place. He can still play on the point in PP (because of his great slapshot), or create havoc in front of the opponent’s net. And why not a Xhekaj Bros combo on our 4th line in a not far future ?

 

[417]

Oh wow
I don't think there's any chance they give a spot to Rein over Hutson to start the year
(But if I'm being honest I'd have Hutson-Reinbacher start off the year as 1st AHL pairing)
But I think it'll be
Matheson - Guhle (sigh)
Hutson - Savard
Xhekaj - Barron
Struble
to start off

But like you insinuated earlier
I don't see how Reinbacher isn't final cut tho
I think he shines hard in camp

I think Hutson/Reinbacher/Mailloux are all starting off camp on the same foot.

No one is ahead of anyone right now, it will be about who has the best camp and what the team needs.

Right now, the team has a bigger need for an all purpose RD (at least IMO) which will enable them to stop playing Guhle on his off side.

I think Reinbacher is the most physically ready and the most mature in his own zone. I think he’s going to have a big camp.

But that’s just a hunch and not based on some so-called-preconceived notion

 

[bsl]

I think Reinbacher will start at AHL level. He has played so few games in Laval, and he needs to keep learning. Habs might start the season with 7 d-men, and Struble will be that #7, unless they sign a vet out of the blue to hold that place.


Hutson is almost 100% guaranteed to start the season with the Habs. Not Reinbacher.

I don’t think either will start with Habs this year. But surprise me.

 

[morhilane]

Everyone seem to picture Struble as the guy you wont go down but he got only 22 games of AHL experience and doesn't have to go thru waiver so i could see him going down if two of Hutson, Mailloux and Reinbacher have a good camp. Those guys have much higher potential. Struble is kind of redundant since he's playing the same role as Xhekaj.

Because he's basically not waiver exempt, 14 NHL games and he lose the protection. If they send him down, they can't really call him up despite being the D with the most NHL experience down in the AHL they can call up.

And while he's rundant, and probably getting traded by the end of the season, playing in the NHL will raise his value which is what you want.

 

[Beer and Chips]

I'm I the only one who thinks a Hutson Savard pairing might be be a disaster?
If I'm a top line facing that pairing I'm lobbing pucks into Savard's corner while using a heavy forcheck to keep them hemmed in.
Teams will be planning to keep Hutson 200ft away from goal as much as possible.
I'd prefer to see Hutson with an extremely mobile puck moving partner as the best way to exploit his talents.

Which defense pair last year weren't kept hemmed in?

 

[BJCOLLINS]

Honestly, in that Olympic qualifiers video he looks like a young
Nicklas Lidstrom!

YEAH, I said it…….!!

 

[Hins77]

I think it is gonna be a tough decision to cut him off from the Pro team. I mean, he remains a 5th overall, 6ft 4, mobile. Im sure after the camp, we are all going here and say, reinbacher is already better at 19 yo than Barron, Struble, xhekaj etc. We will see. But, im not a fan to let him all the year in Laval if he is too good for the league. At one point, they need to compete vs high level to become better.

 

[Mudz]

I think Hutson/Reinbacher/Mailloux are all starting off camp on the same foot.

No one is ahead of anyone right now, it will be about who has the best camp and what the team needs.

Right now, the team has a bigger need for an all purpose RD (at least IMO) which will enable them to stop playing Guhle on his off side.

I think Reinbacher is the most physically ready and the most mature in his own zone. I think he’s going to have a big camp.

But that’s just a hunch and not based on some so-called-preconceived notion

KH often said that they will do what's best for the player, not the team.

Can RB play in the NHL this year? Is he better than Barron and/or Mailloux? Probably.

But I feel like they will want him to play top pair minutes with pk/pp in the AHL versus limited minutes in the NHL.

 

[Rapala]

Which defense pair last year weren't kept hemmed in?

Which Dmen ended up on the plus side.
One of Matheson and or Hutson has to play on the plus side.
Otherwise we are just spinning our wheels again this season.
People think +/- is insignificant they are flat out wrong.
I doubt very much we can equalize the GF/GA differential solely off the performance of our special teams.
I also doubt the third pairing can compensate for net negatives produced by our first two lines.
This isn't a reflection on Hutson per se but on the balance of the team.
We can't claim to be competitive with team stats like Washington had last season.
I guess it comes down to what people expect out of this season.
From my point of view any thing less than breaking even on that goal differential is a fail.

 

[BJCOLLINS]

How cool is it to have 3 young , blue chip prospects coming into camp?

I haven’t been this hyped to watch our blue line develop since….. I can’t remember.

It’s like hockey X-mass around here, Let’s Go, lol.

 

[rik schau]

---

Of all the young D the Habs have in their system Jayden Struble is one of the most intriguing. Skates well, strong as a country Ox and showed some really good things last year. Patience.

Those country ox's are vastly superior to those city ox's let me tell ya, boy oh boy did I ever learn that the hard way.lol

 

[Sorinth]

If I'm management, I'm entering that training camp with a clean state mindset. Aside from Matheson, Savard and Ghule, all the remaining 4 spots (including the 7th D) are wide open. We are reconstructing our D, and we need to identify and give opportunities to the best prospects we have.

There's a recency bias in thinking that the guys we have seen "make it" in the last few years - Xkekaj, Struble and Barron to name them, are necessarily higher in their development and "deserve" to have the benefit of the doubt and start their season in the big club. But these guys benefited from how bare our defensive depth was 3 years ago, they had a lot of opportunities compared to many other prospects in other teams, and compared to the new D prospects coming up now.

While they can always continue to develop, they are much closer to their peak than we might hope they are, and there's a danger in being too patient with them while keeping actually better players in the AHL on the excuse that it's good for their development. I get the idea , but in practice, you don't really learn how to play NHL hockey outside of the NHL.

I think we need to be ready for our own assessment of the D depth and pecking order to be drastically changed in the next two months. For example, I wouldn't be surprised at all if, by the end of training camp, Reinbacher or Mailloux or both make the team out of a strong showing, completely outshining Barron.

There's every reason to give guys who've played in the NHL and had some degree of success in it the benefit of the doubt, it's up to the young guys to come in and remove any doubt. If the Xhekaj, Barron, Struble have only made it because we lacked real NHL D, then it should be quite easy for the young future NHL stars to come in and show that they are better, if they can't show that they are better and have more risk because we don't know if they can handle the NHL why on Earth would we go with them?

 

[Beer and Chips]

Which Dmen ended up on the plus side.
One of Matheson and or Hutson has to play on the plus side.
Otherwise we are just spinning our wheels again this season.
People think +/- is insignificant they are flat out wrong.
I doubt very much we can equalize the GF/GA differential solely off the performance of our special teams.
I also doubt the third pairing can compensate for net negatives produced by our first two lines.
This isn't a reflection on Hutson per se but on the balance of the team.
We can't claim to be competitive with team stats like Washington had last season.
I guess it comes down to what people expect out of this season.
From my point of view any thing less than breaking even on that goal differential is a fail.

So a rookie with two games is expected to be a plus player right away because a player with eight years' experience has a bad plus/minus? How about the rest of the defense? How about the forwards? Sounds like someone with an issue.

 

[BaseballCoach]

So a rookie with two games is expected to be a plus player right away because a player with eight years' experience has a bad plus/minus? How about the rest of the defense? How about the forwards? Sounds like someone with an issue.

The eight year veteran played 42% of the minutes and had approximately the same share of the +/- and yet he played the toughest minutes against the top lines of the opponents. In the two previous years, Matheson had a positive +/- both times.

I expect him to return to positive this year as the goaltending and team defence improve.

 

[Beer and Chips]

The eight year veteran played 42% of the minutes and had approximately the same share of the +/- and yet he played the toughest minutes against the top lines of the opponents. In the two previous years, Matheson had a positive +/- both times.

I expect him to return to positive this year as the goaltending and team defence improve.

I was responding to the poster's statement not condemning Matheson

The eight year veteran played 42% of the minutes and had approximately the same share of the +/- and yet he played the toughest minutes against the top lines of the opponents. In the two previous years, Matheson had a positive +/- both times.

I expect him to return to positive this year as the goaltending and team defence improve.

If you are defending Matheson talk to Rapala, not me.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Which Dmen ended up on the plus side.
One of Matheson and or Hutson has to play on the plus side.
Otherwise we are just spinning our wheels again this season.
People think +/- is insignificant they are flat out wrong.
I doubt very much we can equalize the GF/GA differential solely off the performance of our special teams.
I also doubt the third pairing can compensate for net negatives produced by our first two lines.
This isn't a reflection on Hutson per se but on the balance of the team.
We can't claim to be competitive with team stats like Washington had last season.
I guess it comes down to what people expect out of this season.
From my point of view any thing less than breaking even on that goal differential is a fail.

Good context!

I believe we will score more goals this year but yeah, we are not going to run and gun. We are also going to focus on team D and limiting goals. Goals against is just as important as goals for. If you look at the top teams who go on deep playoff runs, their goals against is at least top 10 in many situations.

 

[BaseballCoach]

Oh wow
I don't think there's any chance they give a spot to Rein over Hutson to start the year

Hughes has already tipped his hand. They will not keep Hutson to start the season if they need to shelter him a lot and make him a PP specialist.

So why would it surprise you that a 5-OA pick with superior skating and two years pro experience might be ahead of a guy just a few months older but who is much smaller, slower, weaker defensively, and has only 2 games of pro experience?

Are you counting on Hutson being a clearly better PP option than the 9th leading D-scorer in the NHL last year? That's a long shot. And are you sure he will be able to handle a regular shift right away? That's certainly not a slam dunk.

And finally, to top it off, the club has more depth on LD than RD.

 

[WinterLion]

How cool is it to have 3 young , blue chip prospects coming into camp?

I haven’t been this hyped to watch our blue line develop since….. I can’t remember.

It’s like hockey X-mass around here, Let’s Go, lol.

Hainsey Komisarek & Beauchemin?