The state of the Habs Rebuild - The Next step

[ReHabs]

Reinbacher is cooked until further notice. If he makes it, it’ll be a bonus. You can’t expect to rely on a player who has missed significant time in his most important development years.

No blame, no fault — these things happen.

We need to hold onto Mailloux and hope for the best for him and Reinbacher.

 

[HuGort]

Reinbacher is cooked until further notice. If he makes it, it’ll be a bonus. You can’t expect to rely on a player who has missed significant time in his most important development years.

No blame, no fault — these things happen.

We need to hold onto Mailloux and hope for the best for him and Reinbacher.

You're too harsh on Reinbacher. His development is pushed back a year but he is not cooked. Obviously He wasn't ready this camp before injury, I'm expecting he makes NHL sometime next season but '26-27 before we get anything high end out of Reinbacher. Don't exaggerate.

 

[ReHabs]

You're too harsh on Reinbacher. His development is pushed back a year but he is not cooked. Obviously He wasn't ready this camp before injury, I'm expecting he makes NHL sometime next season but '26-27 before we get anything high end out of Reinbacher. Don't exaggerate.

It’s not Reinbacher’s fault, it’s the circumstances. I have no criticism of Reinbacher at all.

A bad D+1 and a terrible D+2 is hard to overcome. If he does pull through, we should view it as a massive bonus and not as an expectation.

The Habs need to pursue or evaluate other RD options. Maybe even draft one high next summer.

Reinbacher cannot be pegged in as a future core player, not after this latest injury robbed him of a whole playing season. It’s the exact same concern as when some people expressed doubt about Dach’s long term viability. One more big injury to either of them and you have to re-balance the portfolio.

 

[BLONG7]

It’s not Reinbacher’s fault, it’s the circumstances. I have no criticism of Reinbacher at all.

A bad D+1 and a terrible D+2 is hard to overcome. If he does pull through, we should view it as a massive bonus and not as an expectation.

The Habs need to pursue or evaluate other RD options. Maybe even draft one high next summer.

Reinbacher cannot be pegged in as a future core player, not after this latest injury robbed him of a whole playing season. It’s the exact same concern as when some people expressed doubt about Dach’s long term viability. One more big injury to either of them and you have to re-balance the portfolio.

You could be right, but I think you are way out in front of the situation.
DR will have challenges at this point, but he will still be a big part of the habs future.

 

[Naslundforever]

He needs next year to get back to where he was as an 18 year old. Kid will need lots of time. I don’t think it’s a fail for him if he makes the nhl at all, and as a 23-25 year old; anything faster would be very good. Below expectations for a 5oa, but that changes nothing to the actual player.

 

[ReHabs]

DR will have challenges at this point, but he will still be a big part of the habs future.

Since he will have challenges (staying healthy, catching up with the NA game after so much time off, playing without fear, etc) that means he could fall short of the challenges, or suffer another injury to his now injury-prone lower body, so you can't peg him as a big part of the Habs' future. A bird in hand is worth two in bush // don't count chickens before they hatch. etc.

Some did yes, you're right, but now that group is growing because some of the ones who didn't are doubting he'll play.

I mean he's out for an entire season here. That can't be a good thing for a dman to miss an entire year of development when you haven't gotten used to the speed in the NHL yet.

If I was a GM out of town, I'm not sure I still want to trade for him.

Losing one entire playing season is only part of the problem.

Losing one entire development season is the larger part of the problem.

Assuming the surgery was perfect, the rehab is perfect, the fitness and mentality of player remains high, and the long-term strength of the injured part is perfect... he will still need to adapt to NHL hockey and likely will start next year ('25-'26) in the AHL. The Habs can't peg him to start in the NHL in 2025 because there is no way it is fair to the roster to start the season relying on such an unknown in (what should finally be) a competitive season nor is it fair to the player to deprive him of massive development-playing time he needs.

That means he will have to catch up to AHL speeds in 2025-2026 and if all goes well carve out some minutes on the (hopefully) competitive 2025-2026 Habs NHL roster. Hopefully he forces the Habs' hand and performs superbly so when he gets the call next season he will do it as a top6 player. Otherwise, over the training camp for the 26-27 season, he would have to make a campaign to get a 6 or 7th D-role -- the Habs, if well run, would have signed and prepared a competitive roster and d-corps for that season.

See how it permutates? It's not very good.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Reinbacher is cooked until further notice. If he makes it, it’ll be a bonus. You can’t expect to rely on a player who has missed significant time in his most important development years.

No blame, no fault — these things happen.

We need to hold onto Mailloux and hope for the best for him and Reinbacher.

19 years old.

Yep, he’s done. Guess it’s time to close the thread…

 

[Miller Time]

19 years old.

Yep, he’s done. Guess it’s time to close the thread…

Just like Slaf last fall

Some things never change lol

 

[BLONG7]

Just like Slaf last fall

Some things never change lol

Rehabs still has bruises from his last years assault on Slaf !! lol
This year, it's DR...............pretty premature to write off a 19 year old dman..........but anyhow.....

 

[Miller Time]

Rehabs still has bruises from his last years assault on Slaf !! lol
This year, if DR...............pretty premature to write off a 19 year old dman..........but anyhow.....

Impatience is understandable, especially for a fan base with the awful track record of developing top prospects that we've had over the past few decades.

But premature is a far too generous description of these type of hot takes. They are outright absurd.

Sport injuries are the norm for young athletes these days. Career altering ones certainly do occur, but at this point there is no indication that DR is dealing with one that will cap his athletic development potential.

DR, like Slaf after his injury shortened first season, shows signs in his game and in his off ice demeanor of a prospect with a huge ceiling. Not everyone gets athlete development, so it's understandable that fear and pessimism sets in without the gratification of the stat line looking pretty. Is what it is.

DR, like Dach, will need to show strong mental toughness and commitment to his career (which he has this far) to make ge most of this setback... And like any player in a contact sport, will need some better luck on the bodily health front.... But like Slaf, all it will take is one solid 1/2 season stretch for all the Debbie downers to drop their umbrellas and pick up their pom poms. Great thing about our current situation is that the Habs are stockpiling the cupboards with high ceiling prospects AND building a best in class development program... Over the next few years we'll start to see the big payoffs.

Future is bright

 

[ReHabs]

Rehabs still has bruises from his last years assault on Slaf !! lol
This year, it's DR...............pretty premature to write off a 19 year old dman..........but anyhow.....

It's got nothing to do with Slafkovsky or my comments about Slaf's development plan. The fact is Reinbacher is missing a whole year of play, I think it affects the rebuild since we will be trying to compete while he's not yet even in the NHL. No one is writing off his career, it's more about the Habs rebuild and the pieces we need to bank on.

 

[Miller Time]

It's got nothing to do with Slafkovsky or my comments about Slaf's development plan. The fact is Reinbacher is missing a whole year of play, I think it affects the rebuild since we will be trying to compete while he's not yet even in the NHL. No one is writing off his career, it's more about the Habs rebuild and the pieces we need to bank on.

Shifting goal posts much lol

"Trying to compete"?

So Demidov being in KHL & Hage being in NCAA this year "affects the rebuild"?

DR is out 5-6 months. By next fall he may well be on the roster on opening night, and like Slaf or Dach who missed considerable time in their first two post draft years, ready to contribute.

This false narrative that his injury is a dooming factor in his development or ability to become a key piece of the roster when the Habs start pushing into contention is simply not grounded on anything beyond reactivity & impatience... Much like the Slaf threads and hot takes last year.

The rebuild is well on track. Chill out and enjoy the ride!

Future is bright