Montreal Canadiens Top Prospects Countdown: #27: Rafael Harvey-Pinard

Montreal Canadiens general manager has compiled a long list of prospects. We are counting down the top 30.

Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin has been building through the draft for the past three years. It has resulted in the Habs having one of the deepest group of prospects in the league.

So, we have been counting down the Canadiens Top 30 prospects.

This started on November 1 with the 30th spot going to Jack Gorniak. The 29th spot went to Jacob LeGuerrier and the 28th place was taken by Otto Leskinen.

Today, we shine a spotlight on the 27th ranked prospect in the Habs system and that is left winger Rafael Harvey-Pinard. The 7th round pick from the 2019 NHL Draft is a highly skilled left winger who put up impressive totals with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies and Chicoutimi Sagueneens of the QMJHL during his four season Junior career.

He was initially undrafted after a decent 2017-18 season that saw him score 26 goals and 76 points in 62 games. If he was 6’3″ there is no question he would have been a second round pick, if not taken earlier. But since he stands just 5’9″ and 172 pounds, no one bothered to take a chance on him until Marc Bergevin called his name in the waning selections of the 2019 draft.

By then, Harvey-Pinard had played yet another successful season with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies. He scored 40 goals and 85 points in 66 games as a 19 year old, and obviously caught the attention of the Habs with that output.

The Jonquiere, Quebec native was outstanding for the Huskies as they won the QMJHL Championship. He scored 13 goals and 27 points in 20 playoff games, and didn’t stop there as he added six points in five games at the Memorial Cup, once again leading his team to victory at Canada’s most prestigious Junior hockey event.

Last season, Harvey-Pinard was dealt to the Chicoutimi Sagueneens where it was hoped he would once again lead his team to a championship. The Sagueneens were having a stellar regular season, with a record of 45-12-6 when the league halted play. They were third in the overall standings but had clearly separated themselves from everyone below them, making them a favourite to go deep along with the Moncton Wildcats and Sherbrooke Phoenix.

While the team was having great success, Harvey-Pinard’s season was not as impressive as his previous season. Junior players, especially ones that are drafted to the NHL, are expected to increase their offensive production each season.

Harvey-Pinard was leading his team in scoring, so it’s not like he struggled, but his 34 goals and 78 points in 62 games had him on a slightly lesser pace than the his last season with Rouyn-Noranda. He also didn’t have quite as much help around him as he did with a stacked Huskies roster in 2018-19, but it was a little discouraging to see him drop from 8th in goals one season to 14th the next.

I’m sure the Canadiens were expecting him to take another step forward, instead of a small step back.

Now, Harvey-Pinard is in an odd situation. He is too old to return to the QMJHL, and hasn’t signed with the Canadiens yet, so he technically can’t even suit up for the Laval Rocket when their season begins. Surely, the player and team can come to terms on a minor-league contract for the 2020-21 season, but it will be a short window for Harvey-Pinard to prove he deserves an entry-level contract at the NHL level.

If he can show his skill translates well to the AHL level in a very short season, he can expect to be signed by the Habs before the 2021 NHL Draft. If not, he will be released from the organization and they would lose his NHL rights.

Harvey-Pinard is a talented winger for sure. But, unlike his former teammate Joel Teasdale, his size works against him and he won’t get any NHL contract unless he shows he can be a top six threat at the AHL level.