The Montreal Canadiens decided to do something different with their fifth-overall pick at the 2024 NHL Draft, David Reinbacher, than they did with their 2022 first-overall pick, Juraj Slafkovsky: They sent him back to Europe to join his Swiss League (NL) club, EHC Kloten. This decision shows management is willing to look at the individual and place them in the best opportunity to thrive as opposed to following a cookie-cutter template for all prospects. With the number of defencemen in Montreal’s system, it provides the ability to let him return to EHC Kloten.
Related: Canadiens Front Office Deserves More Patience From the Fans
Whenever the Canadiens select a European player, the consensus among fans and pundits is usually for that player to return to their club team for another season. Generally, that is the safest move, and the Canadiens felt that was the case for Reinbacher. However, in hindsight, this decision provided significant obstacles for the 19-year-old.
Canadiens Made Difficult Decision
Reinbacher didn’t look out of place at all during training camp, but in the end, the hope was to allow Reinbacher to develop his offensive game away from the spotlight he would be under if he remained in North America. Also, the organization wanted to ensure he was given a larger role, one that would allow him to play in a top pair and top power play (PP) role.
“The position he plays. What kind of role he plays over in Switzerland. I think for him to be able to go play 20-something minutes, play on the power play and stuff, I don’t think we necessarily could give him those reps here. So we felt it was the best thing for him this year. I thought he was really good. As advertised for me and I’m really happy.”
– Martin St. Louis (Canadiens take different approach with David Reinbacher’s development, Stu Cowen, Montreal Gazette, Oct. 2, 2023)
There were many reasons for general manager (GM) Kent Hughes to return the defender to EHC Kloten. At the time his head coach, Gerry Fleming, had ties with some of the Canadiens’ staff having played or coached with several of them. It gave Montreal a level of comfort — and possibly even control — in the direction of his development as they had open lines of communication. That situation changed quickly this season as Fleming was fired.
Canadiens’ European Adventure
Last season, ECH Kloten finished in the middle of the NL pack at ninth overall. This season, they were expected to slide down the standings due to the fact the NL had decided to allow six imports per team instead of four, and due to Kloten being a team on a budget, they wouldn’t be able to afford to fill those positions with the top available free agents. However, their regression was worse than expected as they are currently ranked 13th, which means they will be forced to play a relegation round in a battle to see which of the two bottom teams gets to remain in the top league — just like what is done at the World Junior Championship (WJC).
That is one of the challenges Reinbacher is facing. He is having to play with a team that has far less skill than most of the others in the NL, forcing him to try and do more. The other side of that double-edged sword is that he is in the larger role Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis had hoped he would get, playing top pairing and PP minutes and being exposed to the best opposition possible, which includes former NHL players such as former Canadiens forward Sven Andrighetto. He has stepped up but there’s only so much he can do with the team around him.
The poor showing by Kloten has meant another hurdle for Reinbacher to overcome, inconsistent coaching. This is due to the constant carousel of coaches in Kloten. As mentioned above, Fleming was fired early in the season, but that’s not all. His replacement Larry Mitchell is also on the way out, making for a third head coach in less than one season.
Another hurdle this season has been the injuries. Reinbacher missed the first few weeks of the season for Kloten with a knee injury, but it was less severe than expected. He had some difficulty getting himself back up to his full abilities due to dealing with some pain upon his return, but eventually found his rhythm.
Despite the challenges mentioned, the 6-foot-3 defender has learned invaluable lessons about maintaining his composure, the mental aspects of preparing for the game, and following the development plan for himself. None of this means that his development is ruined, but it hasn’t been as smooth as it could have been without the high levels of adversity. However, all this adversity can be turned into something of value — mental fortitude — that outweighs the benefits he would have gotten if he’d stayed in North America and played with the American Hockey League’s Laval Rocket.
Canadiens Find Silver Linings
The level of play in the NL helped his on-ice game. As mentioned, Reinbacher was in a top role, but it wasn’t against just junior-aged players. He played an integral role, against professionals, many with NHL experience. This is a situation he could have had in the AHL. However, his comfort level being closer to home likely played a role in his ability to remain focused despite the repeated complications.
Reinbacher is a very strong skater with excellent mobility. He lacks the high-end speed that could be used to generate separation in transition or to take risks offensively while remaining capable of doubling back to cover any errors. However, he is more than capable of keeping pace with the world’s top players of his age group as well as the professionals he competes against in Europe. He plays a style similar to that of the Nashville Predators’ Roman Josi and stated that: “I like to watch Roman Josi, he’s a pretty calm player, he came from a small town in Switzerland, worked hard. He’s a model for every player. Looking up to him is pretty nice”. As the season wears on, he demonstrates that against the top teams of the NL.
The second guessing on whether Reinbacher should have stayed in the AHL will be ongoing. But there is no guarantee that his season would have gone more smoothly in Laval than Kloten. However, it’s not a wasted year if a player can build on their strength or add something to their game.
Reinbacher already has NHL size, mobility, defensive IQ, physicality, and raw offensive skills to become a highly effective two-way defender in the NHL. If he had gone to the AHL, he may have gotten more experience with the speed of the game in North America. But during his time at the WJC and the NHL preseason, he demonstrated he had a handle on the quicker decision-making involved.
With everything that has happened to Reinbacher this season, there are silver linings to be found from all of this adversity. He has been able to improve his transition game as an individual and demonstrate his ability to persevere through the constant changes and stumbling blocks. Furthermore, he’s shown the ability to deal with injury, recover and persevere through the difficulties of rediscovering his rhythm.
Perhaps all of these positive aspects don’t rise to the levels that would satisfy those fans that became jaded due to the team selecting Reinbacher instead of another prospect they preferred. But his mature approach to the game demonstrates excellent poise which should help him deal with the intense scrutiny from the fans. Beyond the on-ice skills that he has shown growth in, he has demonstrated character strengths that will be essential for him to become a top-paring defenceman.
