The Montreal Canadiens have another high-quality prospect down on the farm, right-handed defenceman David Reinbacher. Now, his selection in Nashville at the 2023 NHL Entry Draft was controversial among the Canadiens fanbase, as many were hoping to add the Russian offensive winger Matvei Michkov. However, with the arrival of Ivan Demidov, it seems that the gamble paid off for team management as they now also await someone who is seen as a defenseman who can be a number-two in the NHL alongside Lane Hutson.
Part of the problem is that he doesn’t play a flashy style, which limits any fanfare he would otherwise get. His style is highly effective. He plays with a defence-first approach, mobility and ability to launch transitional plays means he will be an impact player that coaches will love. At 21 years old, the 6-foot-3, 207-pound right-shot defenseman maintains a rare profile.
In 2025-2026 with the Laval Rocket, he has 10 points in 19 games, plus-3, and 8 penalty minutes. Last season, he had 5 points in 10 games with Laval, showing progression in his offensive play. The problem with Reinbacher is that he has missed time, and that slows his curve. Yet, since the recall of Adam Engstrom by the Canadiens, the Rocket have leaned heavily on the Austrian-born defender, and he is responding by playing his best hockey since arriving in North America. Now that he is the go-to defender in Laval, he is playing heavy minutes in all situations, regularly topping 25 mins per game.
Defensively, Reinbacher excels. His defensive reads on the rotation and switches inside his own zone within the team’s defensive scheme are still a work in progress, which will become far more effective the more games he can play at the AHL level before his jump to the NHL. But these things can come with time and the sort of structure that he’s likely to find himself in at the NHL level
He maintains a tight gap, matching his opponent’s footwork and staying inside their reach. He identifies opportunities to attack the opponent and then drives through their hands or uses a strong defensive stick to strip them of the puck. Physically, he uses his footwork to guide them to the outside ,where he can then seal them off along the boards.
Once he gains possession of the puck, he quickly transitions from defence to offence.
At the net-front, he easily boxes out opponents and wins rebounds and loose pucks with urgency and physicality
Offensively, his game isn’t as polished as his defensive game, but he does have quite a lot of untapped potential. The expectation is not for him to become a dominant offensive defenseman in the NHL; instead, the expectation is that he will be a stabilizing force that complements an offensive defenceman while also providing 40-plus point offensive defenceman well while also providing 40 plus point seasons regularly.
Reinbacher is already a capable puck-mover. His first step and smooth edgework all him to explode past any forecheckers. He can make a quick and accurate first pass or activate the rush if he sees a lane open up.
He is still a more straightforward north-south attacker and will need to add more east-west movements in his game to become more deceptive, as well as gain more experience in identifying when pressure is being applied on him as the puck carrier, for him to become a more effective player at the NHL level.
Reinbacher is finally on the right track to becoming the steady 2-way defender that the Habs expected when they drafted him 5th overall in 2023? After starting the past two seasons with an injury, he has never been able to keep good momentum with his progression. This is why he has not been able to get to the level expected of him yet. Nonetheless, it is looking like it is all falling together slowly.
Mental toughness has been on display since his time at the 2023 World Junior Championships in his draft year. There, he played the entire tournament while suffering from an illness that forced him to take fluids and rest between games. Since then, he has suffered multiple injuries that have forced him to miss significant time. His steady and positive approach has been the key to his ability to navigate the pressures of those issues, as well as being a top-five pick. The organization can afford to be patient, ensuring he is given the time to be fully prepared before making a permanent jump to the NHL.