We’re quickly approaching the start of the 2024-25 season in various leagues, which means it’s time to check in on some of the top players in the Canadiens prospect pool who are expected to play an important role in the team’s rebuild. Canadiens Prospect David Reinbacher After what can only be described as a complicated season in Europe playing for EHC Kloten, David Reinbacher found his rhythm upon his arrival in the AHL. He scored a great goal in his first game for the Laval Rocket, and would go on to score two goals and three assists in 11 games, a much healthier production rate than what we saw during his time in Switzerland.
More importantly, he showed flashes of brilliance on defence, using his active stick and high-end skating to shut down opposing players off the rush, while quickly corralling pucks and initiating controlled breakout plays. We’re not quite at the point where we can suggest Reinbacher is the front-runner for the job opening on the right side of the blue line, but given how he finished the 2023-24 season on the right note, not to mention his excellent play as Austria attempts to secure an Olympic berth, he will certainly have a chance to prove his worth at training camp now that the Canadiens have traded two of their young defencemen. Reinbacher scored an important goal for Austria in a warm-up game this weekend, and that’s certainly encouraging, but more than anything it was his one-handed takeaway that led to the goal that should be kept in m.