Habs Daily: Reinbacher Close, Canadiens Pressure, Heineman

Here are the Montreal Canadiens news items, highlights, and stories you may have missed on Tuesday.

Montreal Canadiens News

Laval Rocket head coach Pascal Vincent gave an encouraging update as to prospect David Reinbacher’s recovery. Vincent said Reinbacher could be ready to play as early as today’s game versus the Manitoba Moose. He followed it up by saying Reinbacher should be able to play on the weekend if he’s not ready to play on Wednesday, with the worst case scenario being next week’s game against the Toronto Marlies.

Regardless of the exact time frame, it’s welcomed news for an important prospect.

As was the case for Kirby Dach and Patrik Laine, patience is in order once Reinbacher returns to play. [Patient Is In Order For Canadiens Prospect David Reinbacher]

En entretien avec @MartinLemay , l’entraîneur-chef du Rocket Pascal Vincent a révélé que David Reinbacher va revenir au jeu très bientôt… et peut-être même demain!😮 pic.twitter.com/xYxgRUss3l

— BPM Sports (@BPMSportsRadio) February 18, 2025

There are plenty of players that have something to prove in the final stretch of the 2024-25 season, including the player who was drafted first overall in 2022. Beyond Juraj Slafkovsky, there are a pair of veterans and a pair of young players with a lot on the line in the final 26 games of the year. [Top 5 Canadiens Players With Something To Prove In 2025]

There was more good news on the injury front, which feels very weird to write when you cover the Montreal Canadiens. Emil Heineman skated with the team for the first time since he was hit by a car in Utah. As expected, he was wearing a non-contact jersey, which means we shouldn’t expect him back in the next few days, but at least he’s on the mend.

Martin St-Louis definitely misses his Heineman in the lineup, but no one misses him more than impending free agent Jake Evans. The fourth-line centre has gone ice-cold without Heineman in the lineup. [The Montreal Canadiens Miss Emil Heineman More Than Expected]

#Habs Martin St-Louis says Emil Heineman being on the ice today is a good sign that he could be close to returning; he will be evaluated further during the week.

— Priyanta Emrith (@HabsInHighHeels) February 18, 2025

Nick Suzuki discussed his disappointment in not cracking Team Canada’s roster at the 4 Nations Faceoff. Canada is set to face the USA in the championship game on Thursday night in Boston.

“Obviously as a competitive guy, I wanted to be there but there are so many good players for Canada 🇨🇦. I’m sure there are a lot of players that felt how I felt. It’s a tough team to crack. Hopefully there’s couple more chances at it.”

– Habs captain Nick Suzuki today pic.twitter.com/4c6Xge7U5H

— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) February 18, 2025

Suzuki was given a heads-up by Cole Caufield to expect fireworks before Canada and USA opened the game with three consecutive fights.

Habs captain Nick Suzuki on USA 🇺🇸 vs Canada 🇨🇦 last Saturday:

“Yeah I watched it. I heard from Cole that something was probably gonna go down. I didn’t think we were gonna get fights but I knew that it was gonna be a good start. It was an exciting start for sure.” pic.twitter.com/HDuU06mQuw

— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) February 18, 2025

The Montreal Victoire are the top team in the PWHL, but they dropped a tough 4-0 game versus the high-flying Minnesota Frost. Montreal holds a five-point lead over Minnesota in the standings, while also having three games in hand. [PWHL]

National Hockey Now Network

Regular-season hockey for the Colorado Avalanche resumes on Saturday, and the lineup may look different than before the 4 Nations break. Valeri Nichushkin is expected to return after missing 19 games due to a lower-body injury. [Colorado Avalanche]

The Vegas Golden Knights made a minor trade, sending Grigori Denisenko to the Nashville Predators for future considerations. [Vegas Golden Knights]

Patrick Kane was caught up in the excitement of Team USA’s trip to the championship game of the 4 Nations Face-off. [Detroit Red Wings]