What Happened
The Montreal Canadiens recalled defenceman David Reinbacher from the AHL's Laval Rocket on Wednesday, the team announced. The move comes before the second half of a back-to-back against the Washington Capitals. Montreal is down to six healthy defenders after Mike Matheson missed Tuesday's game with a lower-body injury listed as day-to-day. Noah Dobson also briefly left Tuesday's game after taking a puck to the face but returned.
Key Details
- Reinbacher, 21, is in line for his season debut with Montreal.
- He played two NHL games last April, recording one assist in 26:17 of ice time.
- He attended 2026 training camp and played three pre-season games but was cut from the initial roster.
- Mike Matheson is day-to-day with a lower-body injury.
- Noah Dobson returned to Tuesday's game after a puck hit him in the face.
- Montreal is 3-2-1 and plays Washington at 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT.
What It Means
With Matheson unavailable, the Canadiens needed another body on defence, and Reinbacher's recall gives the club a right-shot option who has already seen brief NHL time. His development path has included AHL work in Laval, and this call-up offers another chance to show he can handle regular minutes while Montreal manages a short-handed blue line.
What's Next
Reinbacher could make his season debut Wednesday against the Capitals. Matheson's status remains day-to-day, so further lineup decisions depend on his recovery.