David Reinbacher is making one thing clear before Canadiens training camp opens: he does not want another season in Laval.
According to Francis Bouillon, the young defenseman has no interest in going back through the American Hockey League. His target is the Montreal Canadiens roster, and nothing else.
“He wants to play for the Montreal Canadiens. Period.”
That mindset has clearly impressed Bouillon, who works on the Canadiens’ player development staff and has been watching Reinbacher’s progression closely. He pointed to a stronger finish last season and said the Austrian blueliner has shown the kind of response teams want to see from a young player coming off injuries.
“His second half of the season was much better than the first half last year. He's a player who wants to play in the NHL-he doesn't want to spend another two years in the AHL.
He's receptive. I hope he had a good summer; we'll see at training camp, but he's a guy who could be a surprise at camp and earn a spot.”
Reinbacher’s refusal to settle for another trip to Laval says a lot about where he is mentally after injuries slowed him down following his selection in the 2023 NHL Draft.
Last season, he played only two NHL games and wrapped up his year with 24 points in 57 AHL games.
Now he arrives at camp with a real path to an NHL job. Bouillon said the second half of Reinbacher’s season was noticeably better than the first, and that improvement gives him a legitimate chance to push for a roster spot.
The battle is right in front of him. Reinbacher is in the mix for the sixth defenseman role, where he’ll be competing with Arber Xhekaj, Jayden Struble and Adam Engström.
Others, including Richard Labbé, believe Canadiens management may want to give Reinbacher a chance this season instead of making him wait much longer.
At 6-foot-3 and 207 pounds, Reinbacher already has the size that can help him hold his own physically at the NHL level.
The only question left is whether that drive, along with his recent progress, will be enough to break through on a crowded Montreal blue line.
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