David Reinbacher: the European clause in his contract is the talk of the town

David Reinbacher has signed his NHL entry-level contract. The young defenseman had been expected to do so since last night, as the guys at La Poche Bleue had said.

But in reality, it’s normal to see him sign quickly.

This means Reinbacher is officially eligible to play NHL games. That said, that doesn’t mean it’s going to happen as soon as the first game of the 2023-2024 season.

Why not? Because the same options (Kloten, Laval and Montreal) are still on the table. We’re all expecting it to be Switzerland, but we’ll see when the time comes, after training camp.

What makes it possible for the young man to play in Europe is the “European clause” in his contract.

Basically, by signing his NHL entry-level contract, Reinbacher made sure to include an option allowing him to return to play in Europe for the first two seasons, if need be.

Please note: this is not a clause allowing him to return to Europe and never come back. He wants to play in the NHL for the long term, that’s for sure.

And he seems to like it in Montreal.

This clause will be used if the Habs feel that playing in Switzerland is important for his development. And the plan seems to be to send him there for a year, then bring him back here for further development.

Note that he could play nine games at the start of the season here anyway, but once in Europe, he’d have to finish the season there. But in any case, he’ll do what the Habs want… whether that’s in Switzerland, Laval or with the big club in Montreal.

There’s also a scenario where the Habs decide to have him finish the season in Quebec. After all, the season in Switzerland ends at the beginning of March, and if Kloten, which isn’t a strong team, doesn’t last long in the playoffs, it could happen.

It should also be remembered that Lane Hutson, whose growth is not necessarily over, could finish the season in Quebec.

Is there a world where Lane Hutson and David Reinbacher, who paired up at the development camp in the last few days, finish the season together in Laval or Montreal?

It’s too early to seriously think about it, but why not?

In Brief

– Signing alert.

The Rocket and Lions agree to terms on a one-season, two-way contract with defenseman Noah Laaouan!👊

Aged 22, the 6’0″, 185 lb. right-hander collected 8 goals and 15 assists in 57 games last season with the Atlanta Gladiators in the ECHL. pic.twitter.com/4O69oClnGu

– Trois-Rivières Lions (@Lions3r) July 5, 2023

– Incredible.

Attendance record: broken.

You love to see it. 😍 pic.twitter.com/onBEV1KGgT

– Major League Soccer (@MLS) July 5, 2023

– Not ideal.

– Crazy stuff.

– Of note.