The Canadiens have recalled defenseman David Reinbacher from Laval, according to Priyanta Emrith.
The move comes less than a day after Montreal was beaten 4-1 by Colorado at home on Saturday night. It was a flat performance from start to finish, and a quick roster response was always a possibility.
Emrith put it simply this morning:
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Reinbacher is 22 and stands 6-foot-3, 205 pounds. Montreal drafted him 5th overall in 2023, so the pressure that comes with that pick has followed him for a while.
Who comes out of the lineup for him hasn't been announced, and neither has whether he dresses Monday at the Rangers. A recall alone doesn't tell us how Martin St-Louis plans to use him.
Saturday's loss was frustrating for reasons beyond the score. Jakub Dobes stopped 23 of 26 shots, and Blackwood at the other end faced the same 26 shots and allowed only one. Nick Suzuki scored the lone Montreal goal, and Cole Caufield put four shots on net without finding the back of it.
Is Reinbacher ready to stay in the Canadiens lineup?
Not yet, and Montreal shouldn't pretend otherwise. Reinbacher has three NHL games on his résumé, with one assist and a -1 rating, and his only appearance this season ended without a point and at -1.
That's a small sample for a player picked fifth overall, and it cuts both ways. Nobody can call him a bust on three games, and nobody can call him a finished product either. Handing him a big role on a team that has already lost on its own ice would be a mistake. Sheltered minutes, a simple game and a short leash make more sense.
The bigger picture still favors Montreal. The Canadiens are 12-4-4, seventh in the NHL and second in the Atlantic Division, and they've gone 7-1-2 over their last 10. They're also 7-1-1 on the road, which matters with the Rangers waiting Monday.
One lopsided night doesn't erase that. It does, though, give St-Louis a reason to look at his group, and Reinbacher's arrival is the first sign that he might.
The lineup for Monday should become clear once the Canadiens hit the ice. If Reinbacher is in, the Rangers game will be the first real look at him this season.
This article was written with the help of artificial intelligence, based on public reports and official sources.
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