David Reinbacher is turning heads at Canadiens camp, and Kent Hughes isn’t trying to hide it.
When the general manager was asked which players have stood out most at the 2026 training camp, he pointed straight to the young Austrian defenseman.
“Well obviously the first two years were marred by injuries. His camp so far has been great.
A lot of our guys were back early skating. Some of our players were calling and saying he looks great.”
Kent Hughes, regarding young defenseman David Reinbacher
For Reinbacher, this week has started to feel like a real NHL runway. The Canadiens’ current situation has only sharpened that opportunity, with Kaiden Guhle’s prolonged absence opening a path on the blue line.
And Reinbacher has done nothing to waste it.
He has stacked together a series of strong showings since camp began, and the message he sent last week was loud enough: this is the real David Reinbacher. He backed that up with another performance that reinforced the upside people have been talking about.
Craig Button recently suggested the defenseman could crack the roster as soon as this season, and Reinbacher is making that idea look increasingly believable.
Hughes, though, was careful to put the strong camp in context, pointing back to the injuries that slowed Reinbacher over his first two years.
The battle on the back end is far from settled, with Adam Engström and Jayden Struble also in the mix for everyday roles. But right now, Reinbacher is the name making the loudest case.
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For the Canadiens, the intrigue is obvious because the team is always watching for a chance to upgrade in goal, and a name like Hellebuyck changes the conversation immediately. Winnipeg, for its part, is not rushing into anything and has been firm about the return it wants, so this is far from a simple fit-and-finish scenario. Until the Jets decide whether to keep pushing for the right trade package, the whole thing sits in a holding pattern that keeps multiple fan bases, including Montreals, paying close attention. [Read more 🡒]
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Group A includes Florian Xhekaj, Owen Beck, Adam Engstrm and David Reinbacher alongside the veterans, which is the kind of company that keeps attention fixed on the next few practices. Ivan Demidov was not listed because he was taking a treatment day, while the players in Group B are expected to be cut soon as the team works toward its final 23-man roster by Sept. 28. Jayden Struble is still there too, even after a rough preseason outing, which only adds a little more intrigue to the mix. [Read more 🡒]