Matt Drake and Patrik Bexell jump on the small orbital pod high above the Atlantic to talk about the news of David Reinbacher on ice at practice with the Montreal Canadiens. Around Christmas, Bexell had heard that Reinbacher was in Switzerland for the holidays, with a source suggesting that he was “recovering faster than expected.” Since this was an unconfirmed report at the time, we didn’t post about it, but him being on the ice now suggests that he was indeed ahead of schedule in his recovery.
Now with Reinbacher on the ice, what could it mean for the rest of the season? What kind of impact can he have for the Laval Rocket? With players like Jayden Struble, Logan Mailloux, and and Engström around, the good news is that they’ll be able to ease Reinbacher into bigger minutes.
Also, could the World Championship be seen as a useful development path given his lack of overall game action this season?
***
Oliver Kapanen, and his SHL season to date, forms the second half of our episode. At the time of recording, Kapanen was sitting at 21 (10G,11A) points in 21 games, all while leading Timrå’s first line as a centre. He is also getting chances on power play and penalty kill, showing some versatility that would greatly benefit his chances of cracking the Habs’ roster again next season.
#Habs Oliver Kapanen with his second goal of the game, we are on a hattrick watch. 10th goal of the season. #GoHabsGo
— Patrik Bexell (@zebhabs.bsky.social) January 25, 2025 at 1:55 PM
[image or embed]
It is a testament to Kapanen’s development that he is holding down such a role. Having taken a step up from Liiga to the SHL is one thing, but it is particularly impressive that he’s helping to lead a team that sits third in SHL standings.
Could Kapanen lead a line in NHL, and can he become a Jake Evans replacement with the skills that he is showing in SHL?
At the end of the podcast we have the sound form the first intermission interview with Oliver Kapanen from Saturdays game at TV4, and directly after that we hear from Olli Jokkinen at the post-game press conference; a game Timrå lost 3-2 in OT after having had the lead 2-0 (both goals scored by Kapanen).
***
Matt Drake and Patrik Bexell discuss Rienbacher’s return to the practice rink, and Kapanen’s SHL season.
Time stamps:
00:00 – David Reinbacher
14:20 – Commercial Break
14:30 – Oliver Kapanen
28:30 – Oliver Kapanen interview from TV4 Sweden and Olli Jokkinen post game analysis (both from this weekends loss to Luleå).
