David Reinbacher: If he plays, it will be his third game in three nights

Mathis Therrien
David Reinbacher: If he plays, it will be his third game in three nights
Credit: David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The Montreal Canadiens just took a major blow this morning when the team announced that Noah Dobson had been injured and would be re-evaluated in two weeks.

He will therefore certainly miss the start of the playoffs, which puts the Habs in a very tricky situation, considering that Dobson is the team's most well-rounded defenseman.

To make up for the loss of their best right-handed defenseman, the Habs had no choice but to call up David Reinbacher, the team's top prospect at that position.

Reinbacher will join the team in New York, and the question now is whether he will play his first NHL game tonight.

It might seem obvious, but considering that Reinbacher played Friday and Saturday with the Laval Rocket, that changes things.

Playing a third game in three nights would really not be an ideal situation for Reinbacher, especially for his first-ever NHL game.

It would already be a very heavy burden to replace Noah Dobson, as the only right-handed player on the roster in a game that remains crucial and important, because with a regular-season loss, first place in the division would officially be out of reach.

Add to that the fact that since being selected fifth overall in the 2023 draft, the Austrian defenseman has faced a lot of criticism, with many people doubting him and his potential, largely due to his various injuries.

In short, if he were to play, it would truly be the worst possible situation for Reinbacher's first NHL game.

So it's safe to assume the Habs won't want to put their 21-year-old defenseman in that position, but at the same time, do they really have a choice?

If Kaiden Guhle is unable to play, there isn't even a choice, as the Habs would have only six healthy defensemen.

And even if Guhle is able to play, will Martin St-Louis really trust six left-handed defensemen in his defensive corps for an important road game?

I doubt it, even though Jayden Struble and Adam Engstrom can play on the right.

In short, having its only two right-handed defensemen on the bench is a very delicate situation, and it puts the Habs in a bind.

At least, by Tuesday, it will have been two weeks since Alexandre Carrier was injured, and we recall that the Habs had announced a two-week absence.

So will Carrier be an option soon?

This current situation serves as a reminder of how important it is to truly make the most of every opportunity to compete and participate in the playoffs, because an injury to a key player can happen so quickly.


In a Nutshell

– Ouch.

– Indeed.

– Stay tuned.

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