The Canadian’s first draft pick, David Reinbacher, hasn’t even made a dent in the NHL yet, he’s already been picked up by fans who would have preferred Kent Hughes to select Russian Matvei Michkov. It illustrates how Montreal is such a unique market.
There’s something to feel bad about Reinbacher. Hopefully the Austrian defender is still as happy with Hughes’ decision as he was floating on cloud nine after his surprising fifth-round selection. I didn’t even think he was in the top ten prospects.
Personally, I would have chosen Michkov and I had spoken about it in a previous column. I believe in choosing the most talented player, although Hughes and head scout Martin Lapointe mentioned several good reasons why they preferred Reinbacher, including the fact that he was a right-handed defenseman.
We will see in a few years if Hughes was right, but he had to defend his selection and also to comment on the very negative reactions of the supporters. In Montreal, it’s like that.
Last year, it was the same when he preferred Juraj Slafkovsky to Shane Wright. One thing is certain, Hughes does not rely on the popular vote to make his decisions and that is fine. That’s why he has a hockey department to advise him.
A scary market
The point I want to emphasize here is that people have to realize that Montreal is a market that scares many players and agents. Fans are passionate, sure, but that comes with its downsides too.
Reinbacher will quickly feel the pressure from Montreal if he stumbles early in the season. It’s a bit like what happened to Slafkovsky, Jesperi Kotkaniemi and others. It’s difficult for a good prospect to develop in Montreal, and it’s even worse if a player drafted further out passes him.
And there is the good side. The player who comes out of nowhere and who is successful, we quickly make a hero of him. On the other hand, it becomes dangerous when expectations are set a little too high.
When things are bad in Montreal, it’s different, you hear about it constantly, even on days off, and you have to be mentally strong to resist. Nobody likes to be singled out and it can get heavy.
So when a free agent asks his agent why he should accept an offer from the Canadiens, the agent must be honest. It’s a point against Montreal. It will be different the day the CH will be a real power, but this is not the case yet.
When we blame a young person, simply because he was drafted, it is insane. It’s not Reinbacher’s fault the Canadiens liked him better than Michkov, and according to Martin Lapointe, it was a unanimous decision. Let the runner have a chance.
I still texted Daniel Brière, the Flyers general manager, to congratulate him and tell him that taking Michkov to seventh overall made him the star GM of the draft. I can tell you that he is proud of his shot.
My last column
Dear readers, I am announcing that after nine years and nearly 400 reviews, this is my last. I would like to thank Denis Poissant who gave me the opportunity to be part of the great team at Log as well as everyone who has contributed to this page, including my ghostwriter, Gilles Moffet. I have always appreciated your comments. Thank you for your support. I will miss you. Bye!
– Interview by Gilles Moffet
pride returns
Before I leave you, I want to tell you that I like the direction in which the Canadiens are going, and in addition, for the first time in 30 years, we have two star players from the outside who are spending their summer in Montreal in Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield. They are proud to play here and it shows. I love that. Even a valued captain like Saku Koivu returned to Finland as soon as the season was over. It was pretty much the same with Carey Price and Shea Weber. I bet Suzuki and Caufield will eventually speak French. I would have really liked Pierre-Luc Dubois to join the Canadiens. We would have had three integrated leaders in Montreal.
Pierre-Luc Dubois
Speaking of Pierre-Luc Dubois, he will spend most of his career in Los Angeles. Probably Kent Hughes would have had to pay him a bigger salary than in LA because of taxes, but Quebec stars must realize one thing: playing in Montreal also has its financial advantages. In 2003-2004, I earned just over a million dollars in sponsorships, notably with Mikes, Vachon, Gatorade as well as the equipment manufacturers Vaughn and I-Tech. Imagine what a star Quebecer like Dubois would look for in extra, today in 2023.
A first for Drouin
Jonathan Drouin will live a new experience in Colorado. For the first time in his career, there won’t be high expectations for him. When he has a bad game, it won’t be the end of the world. It will be really different from Tampa or Montreal and he will play minimum wage. I see two scenarios in his case. We agree that this is his last chance. If it doesn’t work, Joe Sakic won’t have run a big risk. On the other hand, if he revives his career, it could be the story of a good comeback. He joins his former teammate Nathan MacKinnon, who had a say in his signing. Sakic certainly asked his opinion. Another good point for Drouin is that being close to MacKinnon will greatly help him to integrate.
The gardians
A final word on goalies. Kudos to the Canadian for picking up three. The Islanders had to offer a long-term contract to the excellent Ilya Sorokin. In the case of Stanley Cup winner Adin Hill, a two-year, $4.9 million a year contract in Vegas is reasonable.