Reinbacher can now join Canadiens since loan ended
Montreal Canadiens top prospect David Reinbacher has concluded his season in Switzerland. This means the 19-year-old is now available to cross the pond and start his North American hockey career.
The prospect’s team, EHC Kloten, will not need to play their relegation series in the National League, the top division in Switzerland. This is because neither of the two teams involved in the second division’s finals is eligible for promotion.
Reinbacher’s loan commitments to EHC Kloten are, therefore, over, and he is free to join the Canadiens staff and personnel in Quebec.
He finished this season with 11 points in 35 games played, good for 38th among all defencemen league-wide in points-per-game.
The 6-foot-2 player could start in either the NHL or AHL once he makes the trek across the globe. He has professional hockey experience in Europe playing against competition of all ages.
“Obviously, we all want to play in the NHL as quickly as possible. But it’s development,” said Reinabcher in a recent interview with La Presse. “I am open to everything. It will be up to the club to decide.”
It seems more likely that he will start in the AHL with the Laval Rockets. The Rockets are currently sixth in the North Division with a 26-24-8 record.
The Canadiens selected Reinbacher with the fifth overall selection in last summer’s draft. It was a bit of a surprising pick to some experts, but the two-way defenceman has the potential to be a minute-eater at the NHL level.
He was widely regarded as one of the best shutdown defencemen available and uses his stick and skating to neuter oncoming attacks.
He is one of only five Austrian-born players to be selected in the top 10 of the NHL draft. Retired winner Thomas Vanek is the only Austrian player to have played more than 1,000 career NHL games.