Top Montreal Canadiens prospect David Reinbacher’s impending North American debut is technically the least the Laval Rocket have got going for them these days. He may be the spark that lights the match in terms of fan interest in the Habs’ American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate. However, if he’s eased into the lineup as expected?
Related: Canadiens Likely to Send Reinbacher to AHL but for How Long?
Well, let’s just say Reinbacher is just the tip of the iceberg… and that’s more than just a nod to the name of the Rocket’s previous incarnation, the St. John’s IceCaps. He’ll realistically only see the ice a limited amount down the stretch. Thankfully though, there’s a lot more to the team to get behind. Here are the top five reasons:
5. A Relatively Rocket-Powered Offense
One of the things Reinbacher needs to tap into is his offensive potential, which isn’t as defined as his defensive game. In that respect, the Rocket may be the best place for him, in that the team has averaged 3.33 goals per game, with 200 in 60 games, which is ranked fifth in the entire 32-team developmental league.
Plus, who doesn’t like goals?
Recent-Canadiens signee Brandon Gignac leads the team in scoring with 52 points in 54 games, in what has become a career year for him, albeit one largely played in the AHL. It’s easy to see why the Habs seemed eager to send him down after claiming Colin White off waivers, effectively to replace him down the middle during yet another injury-plagued season.
Like Reinbacher, Gignac is just the beginning of a fairly deep AHL lineup. However, the offense flows through him. Had he not spent seven games in the show, during which the Rocket went 3-2-1, they might be further along in the playoff hunt.
4. Meaningful Games down the Stretch
Even so, the Rocket find themselves in a fairly intriguing position, conceivably in line to earn a spot. It at least must be for Canadiens fans, considering the Habs haven’t played a playoff game since losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2021 Stanley Cup Final. In sharp contrast, the Rocket have made the AHL playoffs the last two seasons, reaching the third round in 2021-22. In 2020-21 when no playoffs were held due to the ongoing pandemic, they even finished first in their division.
Admittedly, the Rocket aren’t nearly as well off in the present with a mediocre 27-25-6-2 record. While they’re sixth in the North Division, they’re a few points out of fifth place, with the top five teams making it in the end, according to official 2023-24 qualification rules.
Obviously, Canadiens fans are still Canadiens fans and, even in the midst of another non-playoff season, the games the Habs play are of interest for a variety of reasons. However, there’s still something to be said for games with playoff implications, which the Rocket’s 12 remaining games conceivably hold.
3. More of Roy and Struble
One of the reasons Canadiens games still hold interest is the development of younger players like Joshua Roy and Jayden Struble. While both have emerged as relative mainstays in the organization’s NHL lineup, they were each temporarily sent down at the trade deadline in paper transactions. That keeps them eligible to play in the AHL this season and potentially into the playoffs, if the Rocket do make it.
The Rocket’s season concludes with two games a few days after the Canadiens’ ends. However, if the Habs are so inclined, they can send either player down ahead of time, if they feel the move(s) would be worthwhile.
In Roy’s case specifically, it arguably makes sense to keep him up, based on the significant role he’s playing right now. Still, it’s hard to outright dismiss the potential benefits of giving either one the experience of a hypothetical late-season playoff run by sending them down sooner.
Look at it this way: If the Rocket unfortunately fall out of it by the end, there may be little point to send Roy and/or Struble down. However, if the Rocket do make it by virtue of the duo pushing them over the top, the benefits extend to the rest of the organization.
2. Recent Trade Deadline Additions
The Roy and Struble “demotions” constituted fairly minor trade-deadline transactions, just with potentially far-reaching consequences. Obviously general manager Kent Hughes made several others that received more fanfare.
While the Jake Allen trade justifiably stole headlines, Hughes made several under-the-radar acquisitions. No, neither Arnaud Durandeau nor Jacob Perreault (nor Filip Cederqvist if you go back far enough) necessarily figure into the team’s future plans. However, Perreault specifically is a still-young former first-round pick, with upside.
It’s fair to call them projects. Nevertheless, there’s a degree of intrigue that surrounds them and what they can bring to the Rocket. They’re projects, yes, but prospects technically too, even if they’re far from the cream of the crop.
1. The Future of the Canadiens
That’s where Reinbacher enters the picture as one of the most talked about prospects in the organization as last year’s fifth-overall pick. However, the Rocket also feature AHL all-star Logan Mailloux (31st overall in 2021) and fellow-defenseman William Trudeau (113th overall in 2021).
Up front, the Rocket boast the likes of Riley Kidney (63rd overall in 2021) and Xavier Simoneau (191st overall in 2021), the latter of whom is enjoying a breakout season with 37 points in 53 games. Goalie Jakub Dobes (136th overall in 2020) rounds out the list of highly touted prospects who have yet to see NHL action.
Meanwhile, Canadiens fans should already recognize Sean Farrell (124th overall in 2020, Emil Heineman (43rd overall in 2020) and Justin Barron (25th overall in 2020). Other reinforcements similar to Reinbacher, prospects with contracts already signed whose seasons are in the midst of finishing elsewhere, could also be on the way (from ‘Quand les jeunes debarquent,’ La Presse, March 18, 2024).
Each have varying degrees of upside, obviously. However, by the law of averages, at least a few have a shot at panning out. The attention Reinbacher has just received may be the push some fans need to take more of an active interest in what the future holds for the Canadiens. Reinbacher may not see the ice as much as some may want right off the bat. Rest assure, those who will in his place are worth watching too.