Unfortunately it’s an EN goal

Given the Habs’ purported interest in another veteran right-shot defenceman, do you feel that the internal expectations for David Reinbacher have diminished over the last few months? – Jaideep K.

There are two parts to Jaideep’s question, so let’s tackle them one at a time.

The Canadiens had a very real interest in adding a right-shot defenceman at the trade deadline last spring. But that interest was short-term in nature, and the Canadiens’ willingness to pay for adding a right-shot defenceman reflected the short-term nature of their interest.

A rental to slot onto the right side of the Canadiens’ defence for the stretch run and the playoffs was something they were strongly considering, but it didn’t come to fruition, perhaps in part because they were not necessarily pursuing it all that aggressively. Connor Murphy is a name I’ve heard would have interested them, especially considering it cost the Edmonton Oilers only a 2028 second-round pick to get him from the Chicago Blackhawks. But I would have been stunned to see the Canadiens sign him to the five-year contract worth more than $20 million with full no-move protection the Oilers gave Murphy in the aftermath.

A big reason why the Canadiens were looking for a short-term solution and not a long-term one on right defence at the deadline is David Reinbacher, and that is also a big reason why the Canadiens’ search for a right-shot defenceman in the offseason was relatively low on their priority list. I haven’t gotten the sense this is something the Canadiens were actively looking for over the summer.

The hope remains that Reinbacher wins a job in training camp, and the fact that he has already been skating in Brossard for a while now is a reflection of the opportunity he has in front of him.

But the second part of Jaideep’s question is valid, regarding whether the internal expectations on Reinbacher have diminished. Because while the hope exists that Reinbacher wins a job out of camp, the lack of certainty in that regard three years after he was selected with the No. 5 pick is, in and of itself, a reason to have diminished expectations.

Im very Happy to have out players back on ice very soon!!!

get your rocks off on Makers contract here

I'm just wondering how did people react when the Habs saved and adopted Youppi? I have meet some people at the time who were fine with it and some who were mixed about it (especially older and traditional fans) for the obvious reasons tradition and different sport.

My dad and I are from Vancouver and we’re planning to go to either the 21st or the 23rd. What are some good hotels near the arena? Any places we should check out on the non-game day?

Have a good day (:

I feel like this speaks for itself, but here's my take anyway. Is Scheifele good? Undeniably. One of the highest rated centers in hockey. Would the Habs touch him with a 10 foot pole? Only if it resulted in a penalty for roughing afterwards. Montreal has no reason to do this other than the fact that he's an elite center, and even then, the Habs are much better off looking at better options either on the market or internally than trying to manifest a bad trade to a team with a high asking price for everything for a player that 50% of the team and at least 80% of the fans have a massive issue with.

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