Montreal Canadiens winger Rafael Harvey-Pinard probably would not have played much in the NHL at all last season if not for an incredible number of injuries.
When he did get the opportunity, he made the most of it. Harvey-Pinard became a fan favorite with the Laval Rocket due to his excellent work ethic, skill and ability to put up points. Though he was a 7th round pick, he quickly acclimated to the pro game and scored nine goals and 20 points in 36 games as an AHL rookie.
Last season, when called up, he scored 20 points in 34 NHL games, including 14 goals in his first real taste of NHL action. The 24 year old is now a restricted free agent and looking for a new contract, and has already mentioned he wants to stick with the Canadiens next season.
The Saguenay, Quebec native has played most of the past three seasons with the Laval Rocket where he has combined for 46 goals and 107 points in 145 games. He clearly has the skill, will and offensive ability to be a contributor with the Canadiens. I don’t think he will score 14 goals every 34 games like he did last season, but he can fit on just about any line and provide value.
So, what should his contract look like? He hasn’t really established himself as a regular at the top level but he looked darn good there for half a season. He is 24 and not waiver eligible for another year, so the Canadiens could try to get him to sign a one-year deal barely above his $825,000 cap hit from last season.
Or, and I would suggest this is a more wise move, the Canadiens could try to lock up Harvey-Pinard now on a longer-term deal with a digestible cap hit. He is 24, has drawn comparisons to Brendan Gallagher while playing in the minors due to his playing style, puts up points at every level and has publicly stated he wants to be a Montreal Canadiens player going forward.
Why not try to get him to sign a fairly cheap three or four year deal? Considering he just wants to play in Montreal, a one-way contract for the next four years with a cap hit of like $1.75 million would probably be enticing for the young player.
Worst case scenario is he struggles and has to be sent back to Laval. In this case, $1.15 million of his contract would be buried in the minors and not count against the NHL’s cap. The chances of him struggling to that degree are pretty low considering he has not struggled at literally any level ever.
Maybe he wouldn’t want four years because he thinks he will be worth more soon, but even three years at $1.5 or so would be a tiny risk with a potential for a huge reward for the Canadiens. This is a player worth gambling on a bit and the Canadiens shouldn’t look at a cheap one-year contract and should try to lock Harvey-Pinard up as long as they can right now.
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