Reinbacher injury: Not a lost year for Kent Hughes

David Reinbacher’s first year in North America will not go as he had planned.

His injury means he’ll have to rehab for five to six months, and there’s even the question of whether his season is over.

Yes, his injury is that serious.

It’s a shame for him and his development, but Kent Hughes isn’t talking about a lost year.

In an interview with Marc Antoine Godin (Radio-Canada), the GM explained that the organization has a plan in place for the defenseman.

The plan is to keep Reinbacher close to the club so that he can work on a consistent basis with Stéphane Robidas… and learn the details of the team’s playing system.

The Habs want to keep him involved, as they did with Kirby Dach and Christian Dvorak recently:

Kent Hughes believes David Reinbacher will continue to develop despite his injury.

@MAGodin ‘s full interview with the Habs general manager https://t.co/EvhsP4v0K5 pic.twitter.com/ZPO9UtyPbE

– Radio-Canada Sports (@RC_Sports) October 2, 2024

Keeping Reinbacher close to the group also allows the organization to build his confidence.

That can be tough for any player who has to miss a full year… And it can be even tougher for a 19-year-old (he’ll celebrate his 20th birthday at the end of October) who’s taking his first steps at the professional level in North America.

After all, Reinbacher wanted to prove to the Canadiens that they had made a good choice in selecting him 5th overall last year.

He didn’t get much of a chance to shine at Kloten because the team was poorly managed and, on paper, didn’t have the talent to compete with the other clubs in Switzerland… And now, just when he’s ready to show everyone what he can do, a freak injury puts the brakes on it all.

It must be hard to swallow.

So I like the fact that the Habs want to surround him in the best possible way. Marc Antoine Godin spoke briefly about this in an article linked to his interview with Kent Hughes, but we’re talking about a youngster whose confidence seems to be easily shaken.

The Habs know this, obviously, and are going to do everything they can to make the youngster feel at ease.

Overtime

– Today’s waivers :

Today:
Martin (CAR)
Fix-Wolansky (CLB)
Ahcan, Phillips, Rosen (COL)
Groulx (NYR)
Petersen (PHI)
Huntington, Johnstone, Hollowell (PIT)
Poturalski, Sabourin (SJ)

– Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) October 2, 2024