David Reinbacher, Logan Mailloux and Justin Barron: a decisive year for David Savard

I don’t think the Canadiens drafted David Reinbacher simply out of need. I really get the feeling that the club really liked the potential he had in him.

That said, one fact remains: there was a hole on the right of the blue line (for the future) and Reinbacher’s arrival solves the problem.

After all, apart from Logan Mailloux and Justin Barron, the future on the right was slim. Johnathan Kovacevic is also there as depth, but as much as I like him in his role, he’s a third-pair guy… or even a seventh defenseman.

Mailloux, a polarizing prospect, could therefore, in an ideal world, fall into the second defenseman’s chair on the right. A little time in the AHL in 2023-2024 will tell us more about the man who is close to the NHL, but has missed a lot of field hockey in the last three years.

Justin Barron? The man in the last year of his contract will try to start the year in Montreal, and in the long run, he could make an excellent third-pair defenseman…. if Mailloux and Reinbacher become what they’re meant to be.

And of course, the trio is completed by Reinbacher, who’s been in the news a lot lately.

Obviously, I told you about an ideal world. We know it doesn’t happen all the time, but chances are Mailloux will have the knife between his teeth and finish the season in Montreal. There’s also a chance that Reinbacher will make the club in 2024-2025.

If so, what will the Habs do? If the plan is to be followed, they’ll have to give them some playing time up top. After all, the game plan has revolved around youngsters for the past few years.

Chris Wideman will be out of contract in a year, and Kovacevic is a depth guy. But there’s one guy left on the right: David Savard.

In the long term, we know that Savard isn’t the kind of guy who’s necessarily going to stay in town. After all, he’ll be 34 when his contract expires in 2025, and with the guys pushing, a Joel Edmundson scenario surely awaits.

I get the impression that, at the moment, the Habs are very happy to have a veteran of Savard’s calibre, but that next year will serve as a test for what comes next.

If Savard is still deemed useful for youth development, he’ll stay on next summer. But if we want to make room for the youngsters, he could make it possible to pick up some interesting pieces on the way by being traded.

Like Joel Edmundson, he earns $3.5 million a year. If need be, in a year’s time, Kent Hughes could withhold salary to facilitate a transaction with another team.

And if he were to be traded, he’d clearly be a boon to his new team, as he’s very good on the ice and in the dressing room.

In a gaggle

– Interesting.

– Nice promotion.

– Coming soon.

– Quentin Miller is proud to be with the CH. [BPM Sports]

– Very strong.

Adam Fantilli wasted no time pulling out The Michigan.

(: @adam_33) pic.twitter.com/ZBEiifsewF

– NHL (@NHL) July 4, 2023