Ryan Poehling’s path offers blueprint for Reinbacher, Fowler and Beck after cuts

David Reinbacher, Jacob Fowler and Owen Beck were all assigned to the Laval Rocket on Sunday, a setback on paper for three players who were close to cracking the Montreal Canadiens’ lineup. Recent history suggests, however, that a late cut at the end of camp does not close the door on an NHL career, and Ryan Poehling’s journey remains a prime example inside the organization.

From last‑minute demotion to major contract: Poehling’s arc

Going into the 2021-22 season, Poehling was widely expected to land on one of the Canadiens’ bottom two lines at centre. The 2017 first‑rounder had created a buzz with a hat trick against the Toronto Maple Leafs in his first NHL game in 2019, fresh out of college, and had followed up with a strong if injury‑marred year in Laval in 2020-21.

Instead, just hours before opening night, he was sent back to the AHL. Montreal kept Alex Belzile, Adam Brooks, Cédric Paquette and Mathieu Perreault ahead of him down the middle. Brooks had been claimed on waivers from Toronto, Paquette and Perreault arrived as free agents, and Paquette brought a track record as an NHL regular with stops in Carolina, Ottawa and especially Tampa Bay, where he spent six seasons and won a Stanley Cup.

Poehling responded with six points in seven games in Laval and earned a recall. He went on to play 57 games for the Canadiens that season, posting 14 points, while Brooks appeared in only four contests before landing back on waivers and being claimed by Vegas. Perreault had an early‑season hat trick but was limited by injuries to 25 games before retiring, and Paquette and Belzile finished the year in the AHL. Even though Marc Bergevin and Dominique Ducharme were dismissed and Poehling was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in June 2022, that campaign cemented him as an NHLer. He has since signed a four‑year, $15‑million contract with the Anaheim Ducks.

How the current cuts fit the Canadiens’ recent pattern

The assignments of Reinbacher, Fowler and Beck follow a familiar pattern in Montreal. In 2024-25, Alex Barré‑Boulet, Justin Barron, Oliver Kapanen and Cayden Primeau all made the initial 23‑man roster. Barré‑Boulet ended up playing only two NHL games, while Joshua Roy and Owen Beck, cut in his favour, saw more action later in the season. Primeau started as backup goaltender, but Jakub Dobeš forced his way in with a strong AHL showing and eventually pushed Primeau out, leading to a trade to the Carolina Hurricanes for a seventh‑round pick in June 2025.

In 2023, veteran winger Joel Armia was sent to Laval after Tanner Pearson took his spot. Armia quickly dominated at the AHL level, earned a recall, and scored 17 goals in 66 games with Montreal. Pearson, by contrast, finished the year bouncing between limited minutes and the press box.

Goaltending decisions also show why Fowler is back in Laval. The young netminder already proved he could handle NHL duty with 17 appearances in the second half of last season and a backup role in the playoffs. But the Canadiens were not prepared to risk losing Samuel Montembeault on waivers, particularly after he regained his form. A strong start from Montembeault could eventually open the door to a trade with a goalie‑needy team, which would shift the depth chart again.

On defence, Reinbacher put together a solid camp overall, even if his final pre‑season outing was less convincing. He would have been a logical fit in Montreal given that he shoots right and the Canadiens currently have only Noah Dobson and Alexandre Carrier as right‑shot defencemen. Adam Engström, who was Laval’s best defenceman last year by a wide margin, has earned a spot to start the season, but his status could change when Kaiden Guhle returns, unless the club makes room by moving Jayden Struble or Arber Xhekaj.

Within that context, Reinbacher is still viewed as part of the Canadiens’ long‑term core and could secure a full‑time spot by season’s end. For Beck, the path at centre appears tougher, and he may need injuries or poor performances ahead of him to create an opening.

Smits, McKenna and Stenberg step straight in, others wait in NCAA

Elsewhere in the league, some teenagers are skipping the AHL step entirely. Latvian defenceman Alberts Smits, drafted fifth overall this past summer, impressed enough at New York Rangers camp to earn an NHL job at 18. He will be one of three top‑five picks to start the season in the NHL, along with Gavin McKenna on the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ivar Stenberg with the San Jose Sharks.

By contrast, other elite prospects are taking the longer route. Third‑overall pick Caleb Malhotra, property of the Vancouver Canucks, and fourth‑overall selection Daxon Rudolph of the Buffalo Sabres will both play in the NCAA. Taken together, these cases underline a common reality facing Reinbacher, Fowler and Beck: early AHL assignments are part of many successful paths, not the end of them.