Scott Wheeler’s Top Prospects list: David Reinbacher in 7th place

When the Canadiens selected David Reinbacher over Matvei Michkov with the 5th overall pick in 2023, most fans were angry. Kent Hughes preferred to go with a low-risk player who would fill a hole in the lineup.

Hughes made up for it in the eyes of those who wanted Michkov when he selected Ivan Demidov at the last draft. Demidov happens to be third on The Athletic‘s Scott Wheeler’s list of top prospects.

Despite this good move by the Canadiens’ GM, many fans are still disappointed not to have Mishkov in the organization. And Wheeler’s Top 100 list gives ammunition to those who prefer Michkov to Reinbacher.

According to this list, Reinbacher is ranked as the 7th-best prospect of the year, while Michkov is ranked first among players drafted in 2023.

My annual top 100 drafted NHL prospects ranking is out @TheAthletic!

Featuring nearly 50,000 words of analysis, player tiers, and more, all packaged in our sleek and customizable user interface.

The full list: https://t.co/wCMfYUvZCe pic.twitter.com/LZ0yM2wjwA

– Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) July 16, 2024

To add insult to injury, three players from the 2023 draft aren’t on this list because they’re already established in the NHL. Connor Bedard, Leo Carlsson and Adam Fantilli.

That means Reinbacher is currently the 10th best player in this draft, according to Wheeler.

That’s pretty intense, considering he was drafted in the 5th round.

Worst of all, he’s not even the best defenseman on this list. Sweden’s Axel Sandin-Pellikka outranks him by just one place, even though he was drafted 17th!

Reinbacher remains an excellent prospect for this year’s crop. He had some good late-season moments with the Laval Rocket in 2024, and should continue his apprenticeship with the Canadiens’ AHL affiliate next season.

Nor should we forget that players ahead of him have been surprises, such as Zach Benson, who managed to carve out a spot with the Buffalo Sabres last season.

Reinbacher didn’t have much luck playing for Kloten in Switzerland last season. His team struggled to avoid relegation, which didn’t place him in a favorable environment for his development.

The Austrian defenseman should have a better chance of making his mark with the Rocket, surrounded by players with a higher caliber of play.