LAVAL, Que. – Montreal Canadiens defenceman Adam Engström and Laval Rocket defenceman David Reinbacher share many similarities
Both trained in Europe on larger ice surfaces, playing a style that gives a defenceman more time and space to make decisions, and they both played two full seasons in their country’s top professional league before making the jump to North America.
Most importantly, they both had a lot to learn about how hockey is played over here and how their skills can translate to this style.
At the end of his season in the Swiss NL in 2024, Reinbacher came over to Laval to play the final 11 games of the AHL season. The following fall, Engström made that same jump.
The two do have some differences. Engström was drafted in the 2022 third round, and Reinbacher was taken with the No. 5 pick in 2023. Engström, 22, is a year older and has more than double the AHL experience, appearing in 99 games since the 2024-25 season began, while Reinbacher has played 46.
Those reasons, in the eyes of Laval Rocket coach Pascal Vincent, explain why Engström is currently playing well for the Canadiens while Reinbacher remains in Laval.
“The physical maturity of Adam Engström, he’s older. Just compare them at the same age, and then we’re going to have a real conversation, but right now, Adam is older,” Vincent said Thursday after Rocket practice. “And he wasn’t injured, so he was able to train. Reino spent a year and a half or so just trying to get back from an injury. When you do that, you’re not building on top, you’re just trying to level up.
“And Reino is a tall person, so he needs to fill in that body, and it takes time. And it’s fine. It’s not a problem. There’s no rush. But I can tell you, the mindset and the potential is outstanding.”
Though Reinbacher’s progress two and a half years post-draft might raise concerns, Engström’s NHL ascension offers a more optimistic blueprint. Engström’s breakthrough was fueled by a volume of reps — in-game action and healthy practices — in Laval that Reinbacher hasn’t yet matched.
“To me, there was a real good indication that he was moving to the next step last year in the playoffs. I think he was just dominant,” Vincent said of Engström. “And then I knew he would have a good summer, he’s a real good athlete, he takes real good care of himself, very powerful lower body, smart kid, fun to be around. It was just a matter of time.”
🚨ADAM ENGSTRÖM!! PARDON 😱
CLE 0 – 6 LAV pic.twitter.com/TtdDs6mvSc
— Rocket de Laval (@RocketLaval) March 22, 2025
When Engström first arrived in Laval, he needed to adapt his game to North America. Enter Rocket assistant coach Daniel Jacob.
Engström had to learn how to box out in front of the net, kill plays effectively by using the ice’s limited space to his advantage, and use his stick, feet and smarts to make an impact defensively.
“Dan did an amazing job with him; they created a really strong relationship, and he bought into it,” Vincent said. “After understanding and building that relationship with Adam, he bought into it, and we just gave him more and more and more, and he just took it.”
In other words, there was a process there. That takes time, but it can be accelerated for a player who is ready, willing and humble enough to learn.
That’s what the Rocket had in Engström. That’s what the Rocket has in Reinbacher.
Alex Belzile has played 14 years of professional hockey at every level. Beginning his career with the ECHL’s Gwinnett Gladiators in 2012, he’s now one of the top scorers in the AHL with Laval.
The 34-year-old forward has seen many young players come and go over that time.
“He’s been improving; that’s always a good sign for a young guy,” Belzile said of the 21-year-old Reinbacher. “He wants to learn; he has the right attitude. He’s asking questions, and he doesn’t have the ‘Yes, but …’ syndrome. You know, like yes, but always something.
“That’s a good sign, because I’ve been around a lot of young guys, a lot of ‘yes, but’ guys, and Reino is not one of them.”
Jacob would appreciate that character trait in Reinbacher the most. Vincent recently revealed how Laval coaches showed Reinbacher a highlight package from his draft year to remind him why he was such a high pick — and what elements of his game made him so attractive to the Canadiens.
Jacob made that video on his own initiative. Vincent did not see it or know about it until it was done.
“When I watched it, I could understand why he went so early in the draft,” Vincent said. “Killing plays, smart decisions, physical … the timing, understanding what’s open, what’s not open, the size, right shot, a lot of things going well for him. And he’s a great kid on top of that.
“That’s what Dan did, showed him the clips of what it looked like, not because he lost it, but just as a reminder, like, this is why you’re such a good player.”
The reason for showing Reinbacher that video was not some crisis of confidence. It was because of his lack of reps since coming over to Laval, which was made worse this season by missing the first month with a broken hand.
“You haven’t played in so long, or you haven’t played many games, and then you’re trying to create your own identity,” Vincent explained. “But, you have it. We know what it looks like; we’ve just got to remind him what it looks like. So it was not driven by anything other than wanting to reset the whole thing.”
It worked.
“Now, we’re replacing those clips with this year’s clips,” Vincent said. “Things that looked like something from back before the draft to bring it to now, and that’s what it looks like now. So that evolution, I think his last game in Belleville, he was really solid.”
Here is one example of how that looked in that game against Belleville on New Year’s Eve, a 4-3 Rocket win:
And here is a very similar play he made in his Swiss NL debut in his draft year, except instead of doing it in the offensive zone, he did it in the neutral zone:
However, it’s Reinbacher’s subtleties that leave an impression on his coaches and teammates: The consistency of his decisions and a playmaking ability that doesn’t necessarily lead directly to goals but sets the process in motion.
“I think he can fit with any kind of style, but I think he fits the Montreal Canadiens’ style, which is fast-paced, D joining the play. That’s where the game is going, and that’s what we preach here as well,” Vincent said. “But it’s his ability to make plays. When you have success, you break out in control; your breakouts are clean.
“In order to do that, it’s a group of five, but your two defencemen, they have to be able to make plays. Because if you just chip it out and you hunt the puck and you chase the puck the whole time, it’s not going to work.
“It starts with your breakouts and your gap control. If you have a strong gap, you’re going to kill plays and you’re going to break out quicker, and he’s got all the skills to make that happen. That fits the NHL today, but even more so a fast-paced hockey team like we have here and in Montreal.”
Reino ouvre la marque 🚀
Reino scores first! https://t.co/F9y4MQTu0X pic.twitter.com/gTITvMRfyr
— Rocket de Laval (@RocketLaval) November 22, 2025
Reinbacher might get that opportunity this season, much like Engström. But again, it will be important for Reinbacher to continue filling out his 6-foot-3, 209-pound frame to have his best chance at succeeding in the NHL.
“What are you good at? What makes you different? For Engström, it’s his ability to separate himself from checks, his quickness, his agility,” Vincent said. “For Reino, I think it’s his brain, his ability to read plays and to not only make plays, but also to defend. But it needs reps.
“And in order to use that to your advantage, you need to be physically strong so that what you read, you’re going to be able to execute it on the ice. So, it’s just a matter of maturing physically for him … but he wants to learn. Real good kid, he wants to learn. To me, one of the greatest skills you can have is: Are you coachable? He’s really, really coachable.”
It was just a matter of time for Engström after what he showed in the Calder Cup playoffs last year. It is just a matter of time for Reinbacher now.
“I think of myself when I was his age and I tried to do the same thing, just pick the brains of the older guys … except he’s a fifth overall, and he has that mentality,” Belzile said. “To me, he cannot get worse; he’s only going to improve from now. His attitude is A-plus.
“He’s going to have a great, long career. I’m 100 percent sure.”