David Reinbacher: a choice based on need, not talent

Among Habs fans, the idea of selecting David Reinbacher with the fifth overall pick wasn’t necessarily popular before the start of the latest NHL draft.

It makes sense, really. Why wouldn’t it?

Because the 2023 draft was touted as an excellent year for forwards. Several talented players were still available when the Habs took to the podium to announce their selection, and for some, it didn’t go over well.

The organization, on the other hand, made a choice based on what it wanted. You can see why when Martin St-Louis approached Reinbacher when the latter arrived on the floor to join the CH table: the coach told him, word for word, that he “is exactly what the club needed”.

Colleague JB Gagné explains it well:

CH management had a plan, and as François Gagnon pointed out on BPM Sports, they believe they made the best choice for the team’s needs.

Should fans be cheated by Reinbacher’s selection? Everyone has their own view of things. But one thing is certain: the expectations of some fans were simply not in the same direction as Kent Hughes’ plan.

Again, that’s to be expected. Even after the arrival of Cole Caufield, the search is on for the club’s next offensive superstar, and maybe the opportunity was there. I say maybe, because you know as well as I do that the draft is not an exact science.

But on the other side of the coin, and this isn’t the first time we’ve heard this…

It’s true that the CH didn’t have a great deal of depth on the right side of defense among prospects and players with the potential to be part of the future.

In fact, Logan Mailloux may have been the only interesting name to think of before the draft among the team’s right-handed prospects.

Drafting according to need can have certain risks too. We saw it recently with Jesperi Kotkaniemi, when the Habs were looking for their next number-one center…

But that doesn’t mean Reinbacher’s selection is a bad one. In fact, no one can say that yet, because the kid hasn’t even played a single game in the National League.

In brief

– Mario, Mario, Mario…

– Ayoye!

– The club had to work hard to pull off the win.

– Hmmm.