Following the conclusion of his loan to Swiss club HC Kloten, prospect David Reinbacher was recalled by the Montreal Canadiens and assigned to their AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket, on Monday.
Fellow Canadiens first-round pick (No. 1 overall in 2022) and former European star Juraj Slafkovsky knows a thing or two about making that difficult transition.
When asked how he foresees the Austrian defenceman adjusting, the Habs winger had a few pointers for the player just seven months his junior.
“He’ll need to get used to playing on the smaller ice,” Slafkovsky told reporters on Monday afternoon. “He’ll probably have less time and it’s for sure more physical than back in Europe but I feel like he can definitely make the change.”
Despite never playing in the AHL, the Slovakian forward, who is in the midst of a breakout season, also remarked that Reinbacher could face more adversity on the physical front when he joins Laval this week.
“I feel like there is more time there [in the Swiss league] and more skilled, not like AHL; there’s more meatheads trying to take your head off,” he said, laughing.
Nevertheless, Slafkovsky, 19, believes that Reinbacher, the highest-drafted Austrian player in NHL history, is already equipped to make the jump to the next level.
“He’s the player already,” he said. “He just needs to get used to the ice, used to the game style and everything, because it’s obviously different than playing in Swiss…”
Reinbacher, who suffered an injury early in the year, finished this season with 11 points in 35 games played for Kloten — good for 38th among all defencemen league-wide in points per game.
As Montreal’s fifth overall pick in the 2023 Draft, Reinbacher signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Habs in July.
While it’s unclear when exactly he’ll make his AHL debut, Reinbacher will be a welcome addition to a Laval team fighting to get into the playoffs.
The Rocket’s next game comes on the road against the Belleville Senators this Friday at 7 pm.
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