After selecting him with the fifth overall pick at the 2023 NHL Draft, the Montreal Canadiens re-assigned defenceman David Reinbacher to EHC Kloten earlier this week.
While the 18-year-old will be overseas for the upcoming season, funnily enough, Kloten’s new head coach, Gerry Fleming, happens to be a former Canadiens player himself.
The Swiss League bench boss spoke about his impressions of Reinbacher on the latest episode of the Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro.
“He’s a tremendous skater. For a big guy, he moves well,” Fleming, a Montreal native, explained when asked about Reinbacher’s strengths. “A lot of people don’t give the credit for his offensive play.”
“There’s a lot of things in his game that I really, really like,” he added.
And when Marinaro challenged Fleming with predicting the prospect’s NHL career trajectory to a current player, a familiar name was mentioned.
“I coached Jeff Petry in Springfield, and he’s got a lot of the same attributes,” Fleming said. “I think you’re going to see an all-around right-handed shot defenceman who moves the puck well and has good mobility.”
The Kloten coach also took the opportunity to dispel some rumours about the blueliner’s health that have arisen. Earlier in the offseason, there were reports that Reinbacher was suffering from Osgood-Schlatter disease, which was gravely impeding his ability to play.
Gerry Fleming: There's no issue with David's knees
David Reinbacher's head coach at EHC Kloten, Gerry Fleming joins @TonyMarinaro to discuss the concern of inflammation in Reinbacher's knees.
Full pod👇
Watch: https://t.co/zpuD3aLrOQ
Listen: https://t.co/vKOG0khzNY#Habs… pic.twitter.com/scCHbx0wp0— The Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro (@thesickpodcasts) October 5, 2023
Fleming said he has no concerns and that the reports were exaggerated.
“There’s no issue. I’m gonna squash that rumour right now,” he explained. “There’s no issue there with David’s knees, he’s fine.”
Before moving on, Fleming also commented on Reinbacher’s temperament, which has also impressed him.
“He’s a fantastic young man. What you see is what you get. He’s just a solid human,” the coach revealed. “His teammates love him. He wants to get better (…) He’s the first guy on the ice. He’s the last guy off the ice.”
Fleming: Reinbacher Reminds Me Of A Player I Coached | The Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro Oct 4 '23 https://t.co/kGfCgmg6Ns
— The Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro (@thesickpodcasts) October 5, 2023
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