There are just two players remaining in our 2025 Montreal Canadiens prospect rankings, with Austrian defenceman David Reinbacher nabbing the No.2 spot in our yearly project.
As a reminder, to qualify for our list, Habs prospects must under 24 years old and have fewer than 75 NHL games under their belt. The rankings are based on the votes from almost 10,000 Canadiens fans.
If you would like to check out the prospect profiles that have already been published, scroll to the bottom of the article.
2. David Reinbacher, 20, Defenceman, Shoots Right, Laval Rocket (AHL), 6’2″, 192 lb. Picked 5th overall in 2023.
Prospect development is rarely linear, especially when there are injuries involved.
On top of spending a rocky season in Switzerland playing for Kloten HC in 2023-24, which featured three different head coaches, Reinbacher had to deal with a few nagging issues that prevented him from taking as many shifts as possible in a crucial development season. He made his way to North America that summer, bolstering the odds that he would possibly be able to earn a roster spot at training camp.
Unfortunately, a knee injury during a preseason game necessitated surgical intervention, sidelining the well-rounded prospect until late February. Reinbacher managed to participate in just 10 AHL games, one less than he did the previous year.
The goal is not to denigrate Reinbacher due to his lack of experience, but rather, to explain why we need to be patient in regard to his development.
Reinbacher only has 21 AHL regular-season games under his belt, an underwhelming number when we consider most NHL defencemen play 60 or more games per season in the AHL, for multiple seasons, before they are considered NHL ready.
In that vein, I’d argue Reinbacher has actually surpassed my personal expectations, especially if we keep his 13 games of playoff experience in mind, where he emerged as a very useful defenceman for Laval Rocket head coach Pascal Vincent. It’s worth noting he scored two goals and four assists in those 13 games, one more point than he managed in 10 regular-season games.
When healthy, Reinbacher projects as a mobile defenceman who clearly has top-four potential. This may come as a surprise to some who were told he has top pairing potential, but I’d argue keeping expectations as realistic as possible is very important in Reinbacher’s case. Besides, drafting a player who has the potential to jump into a team’s top-four is never a bad idea, even more so when said player shoots right.
Reinbacher’s game is mostly devoid of flashy plays, unlike some of the other defencemen who played for the Rocket. Instead of out skating most of his opponents like Adam Engstrom, or racking up points on the powerplay like Logan Mailloux, Reinbacher played a simple, yet efficient brand of hockey in the AHL.
His well-rounded skill set is part of the reason the Canadiens felt comfortable trading fellow prospect Mailloux to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for Zachary Bolduc.
David Reinbacher’s Time In The AHL
When Reinbacher relies on his instincts, the puck tends to quickly make its way to the offensive zone. He has the wheels necessary to drive the play at 5v5, using his excellent vision to anticipate where his linemates will end up.
He doesn’t necessarily seem like the fastest player, but that may have to do with the fact that he’s 6’2″, because his stride is incredibly smooth. Simply put, his skating mechanics are almost perfect, as evidenced by his multiple controlled exits every night.
He improved his physical play by leaps and bounds, a necessity in the AHL. It’s not his favourite aspect of hockey, but it must be said that he does not shy away from physical confrontations whenever the opportunity arises.
His defensive positioning also improved, leading to great gap control, and fewer scoring opportunities for opponents attempting to produce offence off the rush.
Even though there was almost no semblance of consistency in Reinbacher’s development, he has maintained his position among the top Montreal Canadiens prospects, a testament to his commitment to the sport while also dealing with a seemingly endless list of injuries that could have impacted his mobility, which happens to be his greatest strength.
What’s Next For Montreal Canadiens Prospect David Reinbacher?
Seeing as the Canadiens already have an abundance of defencemen vying for limited jobs, the best way forward may involve another season in the AHL, or rather, his first complete season in the AHL.
With Noah Dobson and Alexander Carrier essentially guaranteed a spot on the right side of the blue line, the available ice time for a prospect such as Reinbacher would be quite limited, especially when we consider Lane Hutson, Kaiden Guhle, Mike Matheson, Arber Xhekaj, Adam Engstrom and Jayden Struble all have experience playing on the right.
Of course, the decision will be based on his play at training camp. His offseason workout videos have been very encouraging, as they’ve confirmed his mobility will be in full force once he makes his way to Montreal.
David Reinbacher’s off-season training in Zurich, Switzerland 🇨🇭 pic.twitter.com/kiMLZ3ETOW
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) August 5, 2025
Regardless of whether he makes the Canadiens out of camp, or at a later date, it’s important to remember that few prospects have dealt with as much adversity as Reinbacher, which means we need to give him a longer developmental runway than most.
With a little more patience and a lot more experience, Reinbacher will be on track to become a significant player for the Canadiens.
Previously Published 2025 Montreal Canadiens Prospect Articles:
Canadiens Prospect Rankings No.4 – Michael Hage
Canadiens Prospect Rankings No.3 – Jacob Fowler
Montreal Canadiens Top Prospect Rankings – Final List
Do you agree or disagree with the Montreal Canadiens prospect rankings? Let us know in the comments below!
Montreal Canadiens and David Reinbacher statistics via Elite Prospects
