Insider Hints at Canadiens Trading Former Fifth-Overall Pick

Very few teams in the NHL have perfected the rebuild as the Montreal Canadiens appear to have just done. After a surprise trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 2020–21, the Habs bottomed out one season and missed the playoffs by a sizeable margin in each of the next two. In doing so, they accumulated picks and prospects that have since developed into a legitimate Eastern Conference contender.

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Lane Hutson, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Ivan Demidov came on to join Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, creating one of the brightest young cores in hockey. While several more promising prospects are still on the way, recent reports suggest one of them might be seen as expendable for the right player.

On a recent episode of the Mathias and the Snake podcast, Mathias Brunet—who is well-connected within the Canadiens organization—mentioned multiple times that former fifth-overall pick David Reinbacher (2023) could be moved sooner than many expect.

Reinbacher is viewed as one of, if not Montreal’s top prospect, and unquestionably its best defensive prospect. That said, with much of the Canadiens’ blue line already locked up long term, it could make sense to use him as trade bait—potentially to land a second-line center, a position the organization has been trying to upgrade for quite some time.

The 21-year-old Reinbacher has registered 12 points (three goals, nine assists) in 29 games played for the AHL’s Laval Rocket this season. He remains on his three-year, $2,659,998 entry-level contract inked with the Canadiens in 2023.

Who Could Montreal Package David Reinbacher For?

If the Canadiens do move Reinbacher, it would almost certainly be for a star—or at the very least, a borderline star. So while Brunet believes a trade could happen sooner rather than later, don’t expect GM Kent Hughes to force anything.

That said, there are several intriguing targets Hughes and company could explore in a deal centered around Reinbacher. Robert Thomas, and to a lesser extent Elias Pettersson, and Quinton Byfield are names that would make sense, all fitting Montreal’s competitive timeline and positionalneed.

Veteran options like Sidney Crosby, Nazem Kadri, Ryan O’Reilly, and Vincent Trocheck could also be considered, though it feels unlikely the Canadiens would part with Reinbacher for what amounts to more of a short-term fix.

A trade of this magnitude doesn’t feel imminent. However, Montreal’s front office has shown itself to be among the most aggressive in the league in recent years, so Brunet’s comments are worth keeping in mind as the March 6 trade deadline approaches—and if nothing materializes by then, into the offseason.

Next: How Has It Gotten This Bad For Jonathan Huberdeau?