It’s a turbulent time for the Canadiens organization. In Montreal, the team’s up-and-down performances are punctuated by a new goaltending saga. In Laval, it was a rain of suspensions after a violent melee against the Marlies and the arrival of Samuel Montembeault with the team that caught the attention.
In the shadow of all this tumult, we find David Reinbacher, who continues his development in his second full season among the professionals.
Since the start of the campaign, Reinbacher has established himself as one of Pascal Vincent’s trusted men who gives him responsibilities in all facets of the game. The Rocket head coach was very complimentary of him when meeting the press on Wednesday afternoon.
“We see from match to match, he improves, but these are not things that can be explained with statistics. It’s the way he kills games, his gap, his distance between the carrier and him, his vision to make the next play, his way of taking in information before the puck arrives. There are a lot of little things. When it all connects and comes together, he’s going to be the player we think he can be. We are moving towards that,” explained the Rocket head coach.
Last year, Reinbacher’s progress was hampered by a series of injuries that limited him to just 10 games with the Rocket. Vincent continued by explaining the different measures that were taken so that the development of the choice of 1re round was maximized, even when he was away from the ice.
“We showed him footage to show him why we drafted him so early. These clips, it’s phenomenal how he plays hockey, he kills games, he closes games. His instinct, his stick, his physical element, his first pass, the way he moves his feet… when you watch these sequences, you understand why he came out so early,” Vincent continued.
“We revisited that with him, to show him that this is where we want to return, this is where we want to go, so that he can eventually join the elite in the National League. We’re getting closer to that, we’re moving towards that, that’s the plan with him. »
During these next two matches, the Rocket will have to do without Alex Belzile, Laurent Dauphin and Joshua Roy, who are suspended after last weekend’s incidents. Defenseman Marc Del Gaizo, who was hit by Michael Pezzetta on the sequence that sparked the chaos, will also be sidelined.
With the presence of Adam Engström in Montreal, Reinbacher will have to work harder in the absence of the majority of the team’s pillars. For Vincent, it is clear that Reinbacher can take on these increased responsibilities.
“Every game he gets better and better. Even in practice, I see the player I saw on video footage before he was drafted. »
The burning question arises: is Reinbacher ready for a call-up to the NHL?
“He could, I don’t think he would hurt the team,” Vincent replies. “We can call you back, but we want to call you back and never come back (to the AHL), that’s the goal. I think there are steps to see him reach his potential. There are other layers he can bring to never come back with the Rocket again. »
Since the start of the season, Reinbacher has posted 10 points, including three goals, and a differential of +5 in 18 games and if we trust Vincent’s words, the Canadiens organization wants to give his hope every chance to continue his rise in power in the American League.
Still, it is very encouraging to see that Vincent, who admitted that he did not know Reinbacher before his arrival in Laval, is finally able to observe the great potential of the defender which seems to be coming to light.
Furthermore, the net will be defended by Samuel Montembeault for the games on Thursday and Saturday against the Cleveland Monsters.
