The Montreal Canadiens announced this morning that defenceman David Reinbacher underwent surgery on his left knee. His rehabilitation period is expected to last 5 to 6 months.
Given the length of time, it is most likely a mild ACL tear or MCL tear, but if there is a positive that can be derived from the news, it’s possible that he will at least return to action this season.
The best-case scenario is that he returns at the start of March, which would mean that he will play at least 20 regular-season games with Laval. The middle-case scenario is that he is out for six months and returns to action at the start of April. That being the case, he may participate in Laval’s final nine games of the regular season. The worst-case scenario is that he misses the entire season and a crucial year of development.
The Canadiens’ fifth overall pick in the 2023 draft joined the Rocket last March and played in the final 11 regular-season games. The club is expected to make the playoffs this season, and if they do so and Reinbacher is back by early March, he could still play in 30 or 40 games this season.
There is no word yet on the extent of Laine’s injury. Both players injured their knees in the first four minutes of Montreal’s exhibition game against Toronto on Saturday.
