David Reinbacher: play him in Europe next year to take the pressure off?

What’s in store for David Reinbacher next season?

It’s still a little too early to answer that question. He’ll be playing field hockey, of course… but whether it’ll be in Europe, Laval or even Montreal is anyone’s guess. The last option seems unlikely, that said.

The young man, who signed his entry-level contract this morning and who has a clause allowing him to play in Europe for the first two seasons of his pact, will follow the decisions made by the organization.

Kent Hughes, Jeff Gorton and Martin St-Louis will have to sit down and discuss the best options for the youngster… With the obvious aim of fostering his development.

Martin Thériault, of the “La Relève Podcast”, made an interesting point this morning on BPM Sports, talking about Reinbacher’s next campaign.

He explains that the idea of having him play in Switzerland during the 2023-2024 season could be favorable in that he could have less pressure on his shoulders by playing away from the cameras and media attention found in Quebec.

If he were in Laval, I think the pressure might be a little too intense. Maybe he’s not necessarily capable of handling it yet. – Martin Thériault

I understand where he’s coming from. After all, Reinbacher is only 18 and it’s possible that he’s not mentally ready to perform under that kind of pressure.

But there’s more to the discussion at the CH table than that. We’ll have to assess whether it’s better to have him play on small or big rinks to improve his development, whether he’s better supervised in Laval or in Europe… And we’ll also have to assess his chances of getting good playing time.

Because, in the end, that’s what’s important. For Reinbacher to develop properly, he’ll need to play a lot of minutes next season.

Perhaps that opportunity won’t present itself in Laval this year, in the sense that Logan Mailloux is also right-handed and should have a very important role with the Rocket in 2023-2024 if he doesn’t (already) play in the NHL.

Therein lies the problem. Kent Hughes won’t want to block Reinbacher’s development by putting him behind Mailloux in any situation… And the opposite is also true. Reinbacher needs to play a lot, and the same applies to Mailloux.

In the end, it all depends on training camp. If Logan Mailloux performs so well that he’s able to carve out a position with the team, Reinbacher could head to Laval knowing he’ll have a big role with the team.

If Mailloux doesn’t make the club, I think the Habs will play Reinbacher a few games early in the season (maybe the nine he’s entitled to) and then make a final decision.

That said, there are a number of factors to consider in this decision.

In gusto

– Joel Edmundson wasn’t surprised to be traded to the Capitals.

– He also thanked Kent Hughes for his honesty in the process.

– Julien Gauthier will continue his career with the Islanders.

– That goes without saying.

Lane Hutson is happy for his new BFF David Reinbacher 😌♥️ pic.twitter.com/3EMw3rD3qa

– /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) July 5, 2023

– Two files to follow in Minnesota.

– A morale-boosting win. Go Milos!

– Can’t wait to see it all.

His one and only participation in the event has gone down in history 💥⚾️💥 https://t.co/7D9MLNFaQK

– TVA Sports (@TVASports) July 5, 2023