David Reinbacher

June 2025 – Health was a major struggle for Reinbacher this year. He managed to get into only 28 games, playing for the Laval Rockets and Austria internationally. The second year after the draft is crucial for the development of a prospect, and with Reinbacher missing essentially all of it due to a collision during the preseason, he was robbed of a big year. However, when he did play, he looked quite solid, posting five points in 10 games for Laval during the regular season, six points in 13 games during the playoffs, and four points in five games for Austria on the international stage. A big part of Reinbacher’s recovery was load management, so he often missed games during the regular season, which he could have played, but he would have risked reinjuring himself. What seems to be Reinbacher’s biggest flaw, aside from his health, is his upside. He just seems good in most aspects of the game without a truly elite trait that takes a defenseman from the second pair to the first pair. While he may never be a number one defenseman, he does not need to be one, as the Canadiens have Calder trophy winner Lane Hutson on their left side. Ideally, Reinbacher becomes a dominant force alongside Hutson for a decade or so, but if he is not on the top pair, then he would be a very solid second-pairing defenseman. James Connelly

September 2024 – David Reinbacher had a fine, albeit silent appearance in the Montreal Canadiens’ prospect tournament. He showed off his high-end mobility, and looks imposing physically. It would be irresponsible to gauge much on just these two games, but it is likely the path forward for him will be big minutes in the AHL as he crawls towards the upside that led him to be drafted fifth overall. Aaron Itovitch

March 2024 – It’s official – David Reinbacher’s time in the NL is over, and he will be making his North American debut in the coming days. Reinbacher has begun to grow into his body more over the last months, and it will be incredibly interesting to see how he fits in on North American ice as the playoffs loom in the AHL. Aaron Itovitch

January 2024 – It’s been a nightmare season for Reinbacher, but it certainly hasn’t been his fault. His team, EHC Kloten of the NL, is on to it’s third head coach of the year, and has been an absolute disaster this campaign. Reinbacher himself hasn’t quite lived up to the pedigree of a fifth overall pick, but his analytics remain rather strong. There are definitely flashes in his game, especially in his defensive skating, which has grown significantly. A full season in the AHL is exactly what Reinbacher needs to grow into his frame and become a quality NHL defenseman. He will likely come over to North America in April upon the end of his season in Switzerland, as there is absolutely no chance Kloten will make the playoffs. Aaron Itovitch

September 2023 – It was a tough prospect tournament for Reinbacher. Going in with very high expectations, many were disappointed by his hesitance and inefficiency in the offensive zone. There were highlights, mostly in his scanning and defensive awareness, but there are significant things he will need to work on to reach his pure potential of becoming a top-pairing NHL defenseman. His stick-handling is one of his weakest traits, with very little dynamism coming from his top arm. He has trouble adjusting to breakout play, and passes will often die on his stick. Considering this was his first time playing on North American ice, things could have been worse, but he will need to have a big development year back in Switzerland with Kloten. Aaron Itovitch

June 2023 – Reinbacher has been selected 5th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2023 NHL Draft. Curtis Rines

April 2023 – David Reinbacher has flown up the charts since the beginning of the season accumulating 22 points in 46 games with EHC Kloten. He is an intriguing right-handed defenseman in a draft that lacks defensive star power and provides a very projectable toolbox as a middle-pairing defenseman with powerplay ability. Reinbacher doesn’t have elite skating or passing ability but he is super efficient in both aspects. He processes the game well and uses his edgework in tight spaces to shift into better positions or can find lanes quickly with his good playmaking ability. His shot and shot selection stand out as a key component in his offensive potential and could be his ticket to quarterbacking a power play at the pro level.

He is defensively responsible with great awareness and solid off-puck reads. Reinbacher can move bodies in front but he still needs to learn how to leverage his big frame during board play and one-on-one battles for puck possession. He looks like a defenceman who has a high defensive IQ and will improve with specific skill training at the higher level. What he lacks is dynamism. He is a solid top-4 projectable D man but is missing those elite qualities to be considered in the top-10. With that being said, he has the potential to be a staple for any team in the top-4 and has the aptitude to improve tremendously in all parts of his game (much like he did this season). Sasha Lagarde

December 2022 – Reinbacher is a very rare first-time draft eligible to be playing top-four minutes in an excellent pro league in Switzerland, where he has produced half a point per game. Surprisingly, he has gotten relatively little attention in the scouting sphere.

Reinbacher does lack the high-end upside that makes other defenders in this class special, but he is a very intelligent two-way defenseman with good tools. He layers deception into his movements and diffuses pressure very well in single-variable situations. He scans very well both with and without the puck and is one of the quicker processors among the class’ defenders. He is also a competent powerplay quarterback in a good pro league, not due to any elite skill but rather his calculated and effective puck movement, his excellent shot selection (he shoots for rebounds consistently and doesn’t gift away possession), and his deception. Defensively, he lacks physical strength and overcommits on stick checks when defending speedy wingers on the rush, but he sticks to his assignment well and is effective at forcing play away from the slot during extended in-zone possessions. As a whole, Reinbacher projects as a middle-pairing defender who lacks an elite standout skill but whose modern style and well-rounded game will make him one of the first defensemen from this class to see NHL action. Sebastian High