David Reinbacher is getting better at handling the pressure of a fifth overall pick

During his visit to the Antichambre last night, Kent Hughes was asked to discuss a number of topics. Of course, the three-way battle in front of the net and expectations for 2024-2025 were on the menu.

But it’s also worth mentioning that the Canadiens’ boss talked about some of the club’s hopefuls.

What I’ve noticed is that a trend is setting in with a number of top prospects. In the case of Joshua Roy and Logan Mailloux, for example, the GM talked about the lows, whether at the start of the season or not. It all boils down to one word: consistency.

Of course, both were making the transition from junior to pro hockey, but still.

David Reinbacher was also discussed. He wasn’t changing levels this year, but expectations were different for him, given his draft rank.

And what did Hughes have to say?

The GM acknowledged that the defenseman had had a tougher start to the season (partly due to injury), but that for the past three games, he had been playing the best hockey of his season. That’s what Hughes said in light of his coach’s comments in Switzerland.

What the former agent also says is that Reinbacher had to learn to deal with the pressure of being a first-round pick drafted fairly high in the draft.

He needs to understand his identity.

What he’s realizing is that sometimes, when you’re picked as high as fifth overall, you want to do everything [on the ice].

You want to be Bobby Orr and the best defensive defenseman at the same time. – Kent Hughes

Hughes, who can’t wait to see Reinbacher in North America, undoubtedly knows that the young man has experienced the pressure of being drafted by the Habs, but also of being booed by Habs fans… because he’s not a forward.

But now that he’s coming to terms with all that, he’s obviously handling the pressure better. That’s a good sign for the future.

In bursts

– Well done.

– Files to follow.

– Slaf, a nice addition to the first trio. [JdeM]

– The Canucks are incredible.

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