Dramatic Development Regarding the Draft: The Canadiens are Reportedly Targeting a Particular Player and it's Causing a Huge Reaction

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Joe El-Khoury
May 18, 2023 (9:29)

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The NHL Draft is fast approaching, and there's no doubt that with the 5th overall pick, the Canadiens will have a chance to get their hands on an excellent hockey player.

Although many experts mention that the top 5 (Connor Bedard, Adam Fantilli, Leo Carlsson, Matvei Michkov, and Will Smith) significantly stand out from the other 2023 prospects, the Canadiens management would be highly interested in a particular defenseman.

Indeed, according to information gathered by journalist Nicolas Cloutier at TVA Sports, the Canadiens are seriously considering selecting Austrian defenseman David Reinbacher.

Nicolas's source, who chose to remain anonymous to not tarnish her relationships with NHL teams, confessed that the CH had scrutinized the defenseman numerous times in recent months.

"They seem to hold him in high esteem. They really liked his play. They also watched him during his team's (Kloten HC) training and are satisfied with what they saw. They liked the youngster.

The 18-year-old defenseman had an exceptional season with Kloten HC in the Swiss first division, where he collected 22 points in 46 games this year. His impressive statistics also make him the most productive defenseman to have played in the Swiss league in his draft year.

For comparison, Roman Josi had only accumulated eight points in 37 games before being selected by the Nashville Predators in 2008.

Considered the best defenseman in the draft, many experts seem to compare the Austrian's playing style to the Detroit Red Wings' defenseman, Moritz Seider.

His coach at Kloten HC, Jeff Tomlinson, was particularly full of praise for his young defenseman. He mentioned that Reinbacher had the necessary skills to become a top offensive defenseman in the NHL, which many scouts seemed to doubt.

"Let me tell you one thing, Reinbacher is good at absolutely everything. That, for me, is his elite quality. We can't say as much about many players. And I can give you another one: his mental strength. He knew some nights there were 30 scouts in our amphitheater, but that didn't bother him at all. He always exceeded expectations."

Even though many fans want the Canadiens to draft a forward on June 28, the addition of the right-handed defenseman could give a serious boost to Montreal's defense, who could possibly become a real number one.

Looking at this projection made by Marc-Olivier Beaudoin, it's hard to say that David Reinbacher wouldn't be a quality addition to the Canadiens' defense.

Sources: TVA Sports