Montreal Canadiens: Rafael Harvey-Pinard In Contract Talks With Habs

Montreal Canadiens winger Rafael Harvey-Pinard was given a chance to prove himself at the NHL level last season and he took the opportunity and ran with it. Now, he is looking to lock up a new contract for the future.

Harvey-Pinard spoke with Jonathan Bernier (not the Maple Leafs former mediocre goalie) of Le Journal de Montreal and confirmed he has spoken to the team about a new contract. He also mentioned he would like to become a full-time NHLer and stick with the Canadiens out of training camp and not return to the Laval Rocket of the American Hockey League again.

Based on his performance last season, the Canadiens should have plenty of reason to believe Harvey-Pinard is capable of handling an NHL role next season.

The 24 year old was a 7th round pick of the Canadiens in 2019, but did not take long to adjust to the AHL level when he was given the chance. He quickly earned the moniker “Lavallagher” as a comparison to the gritty, hard-nosed style of play that fan favorite Brendan Gallagher constantly displayed with the Canadiens.

Harvey-Pinard, a native of Saguenay, Quebec scored nine goals and 20 points in 36 games in 2020-21, his first season with the Rocket. He also showed he would not back down from an opponent and was willing to battle for pucks in the corner and pay the price in front of the net to knock in a loose puck.

In 2021-22, he wasn’t given much of a chance with the Canadiens, but did score 21 goals and 56 points in 69 games with the Rocket. He was clearly a scorer at the AHL level and more than just a grinder and brought his best every night.

Last season, he was able to show that he can do it at the NHL level too. While he started the year in Laval, where he scored 16 goals and 31 points in 40 games, he also provided an offensive jolt to the hapless Habs when called up. He would play 34 games with the Canadiens, scoring 14 goals and 20 points, basically matching his production from his first stint in the AHL.

If he continued to improve at the NHL level like he did in the AHL, he could very well prove to be a valuable top nine forward. He is skilled enough to make plays with the puck and play with top players, but also hardworking and feisty enough to fit in on the bottom six with muckers who annoy their opponents every night.

He is clearly interested in sticking around long term and engaged in contract talks already. The Canadiens would be smart to get the local kid who earned every opportunity locked up on a multi-year contract quickly.

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