Defenseman David Reinbacher increasingly linked to CH for #5 pick

The Canadian will play an important role in the draft. After all, Connor Bedard and Adam Fantilli will be gone, and there will be (at least) one big player left in the honorary top-5. Whether it’s Will Smith, Leo Carlsson or Matvei Michkov, at least one will be available.

But of course, it’s possible that the Sharks will go out and draft someone else. After all, there are other good forwards available among the first to go.

But there’s also David Reinbacher, a defenseman. He sometimes gets a bad rap from Habs fans, who are desperate for a forward with the #5 pick. In a draft with so many forwards, that’s understandable.

But I wonder what’s so bad about picking a guy who’s seen as a Moritz Seider 2.0 at the draft. Ask a Wings fan if he regrets the selection, for fun.

When you look at it, you might think that if the CH wants to avoid drafting Matvei Michkov and doesn’t want to draft a less talented forward, it could turn to the defenseman. That would avoid having a lesser forward.

And having a real big right-handed #1 defenseman ahead of Logan Mailloux and Justin Barron isn’t exactly my definition of a bad idea, is it?

All that to say, if the Habs were to draft Reinbacher fifth overall, I wouldn’t be against it. I think he could really stabilize the right side.

And I’m not the only one who thinks so.

There was already enough traction to consider drafting the guy at the end of the month, and now Corey Pronman has added to it by placing him at the Habs’ mock draft spot.

Nicolas Cloutier (TVA Sports) added to this by saying that he too has heard about the possibility of Reinbacher making his way to Montreal in a few weeks’ time.

I’ll say it again: if Bedard, Fantilli, Carlsson and Smith go out before the CH and Kent Hughes doesn’t want to touch Michkov, I can clearly see a path where the CH would take the best defenseman available instead of a forward not as good as the top five.

In gusto

– Obviously.

– Speaking of the draft.

– Really?