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The Canadiens have already recalled Jacob Fowler. And automatically, a question began to circulate: does this recall complicate things for David Reinbacher? Not necessarily. But to understand why, you have to look at the rule that comes into play after the NHL trade deadline.
From that point in the season, teams can no longer call up players from the American Hockey League as freely as before. Each organization has a maximum of five regular call-ups until the end of the schedule.
The headache awaiting Kent Hughes between now and the end of the season looks complicated. But not insurmountable.
Hage, Fowler, Reinbacher, Montembeault, Laine… here's everything the GM of the #CH will be able to do in the coming days. https://t.co/mjY45jrXIo
— Nicolas Cloutier (@NCloutierTVA) March 11, 2026
Every time a player is called up from the Rocket to Montreal, one of these recalls is used.
And that's exactly where the headache begins for the Canadiens' management.
Kent Hughes now has to manage these call-ups as a limited resource. If he uses them too quickly, he risks finding himself stuck later on if an injury occurs or the team needs depth.
Fowler's call-up is therefore part of this equation.
But it doesn't close the door on Reinbacher.
There is also another important detail: the salary cap. To insert Reinbacher into the lineup with Fowler, the Habs must have enough space to absorb his salary, which is around $886,000. And the good news is that the margin for maneuver increases every day as the team remains under the cap.
According to current projections, Montreal should have the necessary space by March 16, which would open the door to a recall without affecting Fowler.
After all, he continues to play an important role with the Rocket.
He gets a lot of playing time, is used in different situations, and the Canadiens' development team gives him the opportunity to progress in a stable environment.
In short, everything is going according to plan.
But in the NHL, call-ups aren't just for developing prospects. They can also be used to address immediate situations in the lineup.
An injury on the line or simply a more difficult stretch for certain defensemen. That's currently the case with Arber Xhekaj and Jayden Struble.
In any of these scenarios, Kent Hughes could decide to use another call-up. And if that decision involves a defenseman, David Reinbacher would quickly become a logical option.
In a nutshell
– Read more.
Too bad for baseball fans in Montreal. https://t.co/jvHKeqP278
— Passion MLB (@passion_mlb) March 11, 2026
— A nice comparison.Now will he have Kucherov's immense love of the game and work ethic to produce insane numbers? Not many do, but McKenna is an absolute #1 overall lock that will make teammates… https://t.co/MwXcjscDkm
— BucciOT.Com (@Buccigross) March 12, 2026
— BucciOT.Com (@Buccigross) March 12, 2026
– Wow.
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) March 11, 2026
