David Reinbacher may be staring at the kind of opening that can change a season.
If Kaiden Guhle isn’t ready to start the year, the Canadiens’ fifth-overall pick in the 2023 draft could be in line for an even bigger chance to crack Montreal’s opening-night roster. Reinbacher was already headed into a crucial camp, but Guhle’s uncertain status could put a real NHL job within reach.
The path there hasn’t been smooth. Reinbacher has run into plenty of injury trouble since the Canadiens selected him, but he still managed to get into 57 games with the Laval Rocket last season and added two more with the Habs. Now the question is whether he can turn that into proof he’s ready for the next level.
A clearer picture on Guhle should come Monday at the team’s golf tournament, though Anthony Marcotte has reported that the defenseman had surgery this summer and is still rehabbing. If that leaves him short for the preseason or longer, Montreal would have a spot sitting there for Reinbacher to grab.
And that spot could matter. Based on how Martin St-Louis deployed his defensemen in the playoffs, he didn’t seem to trust Struble or Xhekaj for the same kind of workload he gave his other blueliners. That leaves the door open for a young defenseman who can earn St-Louis’ confidence and take on meaningful minutes.
Reinbacher has one thing working in his favor that the others don’t: he’s the only right-shot defenseman in the mix. Engstrom can play on his off side, but Reinbacher’s handedness gives him a clean edge. In the best-case scenario for Montreal, he seizes the moment and helps give the Canadiens a more balanced blue line with three right-shot defensemen, alongside Noah Dobson and Alex Carrier.
There was also a small but encouraging sign on Thursday in Brossard. Three groups skated there: one made up of players headed to rookie camp, another featuring Laval players from last season such as Alex Belzile, Owen Beck and Florian Xhekaj, and a third group that included only NHL players and Reinbacher. It was an informal session, so Martin St-Louis had no role in arranging the groups, but for Reinbacher it still stood out as a positive step.
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