The Canadiens have recalled defenseman David Reinbacher from the Laval Rocket ahead of tonight’s game against the Washington Capitals.
The move comes with Mike Matheson out of the lineup. Without him, Montreal has only six healthy defensemen.
We do not know yet whether Reinbacher will play tonight. Puck drop at Capital One Arena is 7:30 PM ET, and it is the first back-to-back of the season for the Canadiens after Tuesday’s 4–3 shootout win over Buffalo.
Who Is David Reinbacher?
Reinbacher is a 21-year-old right-shot defenseman from Hohenems, Austria, listed at 6-foot-3 and 207 pounds. Montreal selected him fifth overall in the 2023 NHL Draft.
He made his NHL debut last April, playing two games with the Canadiens on the road against the New York Islanders and the Philadelphia Flyers. He recorded one assist and averaged 13:09 of ice time.
Last season in Laval, he put up 24 points (5 goals, 19 assists) in 57 AHL games and finished plus-18. This season, he has 2 assists in 4 games with the Rocket, with a plus-3 rating and 14 penalty minutes.
What We Are Watching Tonight
The main question is whether Reinbacher gets into the lineup in Washington or comes in as the extra defenseman. The Canadiens will also have to manage a back-to-back with a short blue line.
Follow the Lineup Tonight page for the official lines and defense pairs, and the Injury Report for the latest on Matheson.
More details to come. We will update this article as soon as the lineup is confirmed.
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