“David Reinbacher a bust? a question from JiC

Christopher Columbus David Reinbacher has just set foot in America, and already we’re wondering if he’s a bust. And he hasn’t even played a single professional regular-season game in Quebec…

In his TVA Sports piece of the day, JiC ended by saying that he was going to save himself a little embarrassment by declaring David Reinbacher a “bust”. But before that paragraph, he didn’t mince his words about the youngster. And that questioning, which was the title of his TV appearance, should never have happened.

Give the poor guy a break? Perhaps we can better understand why he was sent to Kloten at the start of the season, namely to get him away from the Montreal media/partisan pressure…

A total of eight defensemen, including Reinbacher, were selected in the first round at the last draft. That’s very few, and some wonder if the Habs should have waited until 2024, a defensemen’s auction, to draft one.

It’s often said that in a draft, you pick the best player available. Yet the Habs chose the Austrian defenseman, and according to JiC, seven or eight players chosen after him are superior. He mentions Matvei Michkov, Ryan Leonard, Zach Benson and Dalibor Dvorsky.

The host even goes so far as to say that Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes broke the unwritten rule of drafting the best player available. Mishkov was definitely the best talent available, but his contractual situation was scary. That’s an excellent reason to ignore him. But are the others really superior? It’s hard to say, not even one after the 2023 auction.

Still, JiC seems sure of himself when he says (after consultation with “knowledgeable observers”) that in a normal auction, the barely 19-year-old right-hander is a top-20 at best.

If Reinbacher was so overrated by the organization, why would the Coyotes draft Reinbacher sixth? And why did the Nashville Predators offer Yaroslav Askarov, one of the league’s top prospects in net, for the fifth pick (and eventual selection of the Austrian)?

In gusto

– I hope so.

– To be continued.

Fredrik Söderberg at @STnu reveals that Kimmo Kapanen GM in Timrå is trying to sign #Habs prospect Oliver Kapanen to the SHL team for next season. #GoHabsGo https://t.co/felIXeU0dZ

– Patrik Bexell (@Zeb_Habs) March 18, 2024

– Okay.

– Some small change.