The main concern when David Reinbacher suffered a knee injury during the preseason was that he would miss an important developmental year while recovering. His injury is expected to keep him out until late February or early March, but it seems he’s progressing well and might return sooner than anticipated.
Before the Four Nations Faceoff break, Reinbacher skated with the Montreal Canadiens’ main roster and looked solid in limited action as an extra defenseman, though he wore a non-contact jersey. Some players are allowed to go to the AHL and practice with the Laval Rocket during the break, and the Canadiens took advantage of this rule by sending Reinbacher to Laval.
He’s been getting valuable practice time there, and recently made progress by ditching the non-contact jersey. The next question is whether the Canadiens will recall him to Montreal once the team resumes practices, or if he’ll stay in Laval until he’s ready for game action.
Reinbacher didn’t look out of place when he came to North America last season, despite a tough year in Switzerland with EHC Kloten. The Canadiens were already concerned about his lost development year in Switzerland, and his knee injury this year added more uncertainty.
- David Reinbacher
However, his 11 games in Laval last season helped him maintain some development, and they hope for the same this year. If he stays on his current recovery path, he should have around 20 games left to play this season, including potential AHL playoff games. If the Laval team makes a deep run in the Calder Cup playoffs, it will provide additional valuable experience for him, which will benefit the organization as a whole.
As for Reinbacher’s return to Montreal, the Canadiens have remained relatively quiet about their plans. After skating with the main club, it seemed logical to send him back to Laval for further recovery. However, the Four Nations Faceoff created some uncertainty, as they didn’t officially announce his assignment to Laval since he could practice there during the break. This could signal various possibilities, such as the team being active in the trade market and potentially needing additional defensemen in Montreal after the break.
If the Canadiens decide to sell at the trade deadline and move players like David Savard or Mike Matheson, it could open the door for Reinbacher to get some game time in Montreal. While it makes sense for him to spend more time in Laval to regain full form, it wouldn’t be surprising for him to get a game or two in Montreal, similar to Logan Mailloux last season.
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