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Dans les coulisses

At 19, David Reinbacher is already making an impact at Kloten

Over the past few weeks, there’s been so much talk about Juraj Slafkovsky, Sean Monahan and the start of the season, that we’ve kind of forgotten about prospects like David Reinbacher.

We remember that he suffered a knee injury three weeks ago and today was his big return to the line-up.

And it didn’t take him long to make his presence felt on the ice, as he stabilized Kloten’s defense at all levels.

With his help, the 13th-place team defeated the best team in the Swiss Elite League 4-2.

He didn’t get any points, but he played a total of 21 minutes and 31 seconds, his team’s second-highest total. He finished the evening at +1 with two shots on goal and one blocked shot.

He was used late in the game to close the books, something he and his teammates were able to do.

When he’s in the line-up, Kloten has a positive record (2-1), while when he’s not playing, the line-up has a 3-11-3 record.

No, he’s not a player who’s going to change everything, but it’s clear that he’s an important defensive cog.

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When you read about him, it’s always his calm despite his young age that stands out. He doesn’t panic with the puck.

We’ll be wishing him a good progression curve, given his chance to do so away from the Montreal spotlight. He’ll have a chance to pick up his rhythm before possibly representing his country at the Division 1 World Championship in Hungary in December.

This return to the game is a good opportunity to compare Reinbacher’s situation with Slafkovsky’s as far as possible. The former benefits from a good environment in Switzerland and can develop without too much pressure from Montreal. The latter is playing in the NHL on a more competitive team than expected.

Does Slafkovsky feel comfortable in the best league in the world? Not lately, anyway. He looks a bit off and doesn’t look like the player who started the season well in Toronto.

Before considering Laval, the CH should put him in a better scenario before judging his comfort level in the NHL. If only for a few games, so they can make a more considered decision later. Reinbacher is comfortable in Kloten, Slafkovsky needs to find a place where he feels comfortable to progress. He needs to concentrate on his game and let his talent flow.

In bursts

– Very interesting.

– The Rocket tries to get back on track.

– Raphaël Lavoie will get his chance.

– Heavy loss in NY.