Hardwood timber
David Reinbacher was selected 5th overall in the 2023 draft because the Canadiens saw great potential in him.
However, the more things go on, the more we hear that the Habs made a mistake by selecting him so early.
In a way, that’s true, because the Canadiens’ prospect had a tough 23-24 season in Kloten.
That said, a year and a few months after Reinbacher’s selection, Corey Pronman (The Athletic) decided to revisit the 2023 draft to see who was misclassified.
Here’s what really catches the eye: among the top-7, Reinbacher dropped the most in Pronman’s rankings.
The prospects expert placed Reinbacher 15th on his list, which is equivalent to a 10-position drop when you look at the original draft :
New post @TheAthleticNHL: Re-ranking the 2023 NHL Draft class https://t.co/M71Cq1zwIf
– Corey Pronman (@coreypronman) October 15, 2024
The original top-7 draft was as follows:
Connor Bedard
Leo Carlsson
Adam Fantilli
Will Smith
David Reinbacher
Dmitry Simashev
Matvei Michkov
Of these players, only Simashev is outside Scott Wheeler’s top-6, and Nate Danielson “replaces” him at No. 6.
Simashev, in Wheeler’s rankings, is placed in 7th position.
All this to say that David Reinbacher has fallen drastically in Scott Wheeler’s “re-draft” and that this is normal in a way.
I say it’s normal because let’s not forget one thing in all this: Reinbacher wasn’t in a favourable position last season to be talked about in a positive light, and now he’s expected to miss the entire season with a serious left knee injury.
You have to give the runner a chance, after all. And so far, the defender hasn’t had that chance.
Overtime
– I love it.
Some Lane Hutson content to brighten this rainy day #GoHabsGo | @RDSca pic.twitter.com/1AsFeEXzDt
– Montreal Canadiens (@CanadiensMTL) October 15, 2024
– It’s going to be an emotional night in Columbus.
Both Columbus and Florida will wear Johnny Gaudreau jerseys in warmups tonight, the Blue Jackets announced.
: @BlueJacketsNHL pic.twitter.com/5tuNT7Moxg
– Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 15, 2024