Montreal Canadiens: What To Expect From Rafael Harvey-Pinard’s Sophomore Campaign?

Montreal Canadiens winger Brendan Gallagher has been a fan favorite for a long time in this town. When a young player is being compared to Gallagher, you’d be hard-pressed to find a bigger compliment.

“Lavallagher,” as fans have coined him, is undersized but has the heart of a lion and the motor to complement it. Rafael Harvey-Pinard never takes a shift off, and he has a knack for scoring goals in tight.

Due to injuries in the Habs lineup, Harvey-Pinard got his shot to play big minutes with the Canadiens’ top players. He fit in quite nicely and didn’t let his opportunity go to waste. The native of Saguenay, Quebec, posted 16 goals and 15 assists through 40 games with the Laval Rocket last season. In his rookie campaign with the Canadiens, he added 14 goals and 20 points in 34 NHL games.

Armed with a fresh extension, the 24 year old is primed for a big season. A full 82-game slate, predictably a top-nine role, he certainly has the chance to be a big part of the Canadiens’ rebuild. A seventh-round selection in 2019, RHP’s dogged determination is sure to impress fans at the Centre Bell.

Although it wasn’t as long as he would have liked, he proved that he can produce consistently. It was a small sample size yes, but he has defied the odds to get to where he is, I don’t see him stopping now. The 2023-24 season is going to be an important one for him.

If he stays healthy and continues his production, he could add an intriguing player to the Canadiens’ top-nine. He can score and he passes the puck well. It’s an interesting question, but how good can he be offensively?

Predicting Harvey-Pinard’s Point Totals for 2023-24

With his nose for the net and ability to find dangerous areas, it’s hard to picture him not putting up points. Skeptics may say, he likely won’t maintain the rate at which he scored in 2022-23, and be that as it may, but I believe he will produce points. He has an NHL shot, which is deceptive and he is constantly driving the puck or supporting teammates in the dirty areas.

If I had to guess, I think he is fully capable of a 20-25 goal season. I would say 30, but I’ll keep my expectations tempered a bit. Along with his 20-25 goals, as long as he has somebody who can finish plays or drive the net to clean up the loose pucks, I don’t see why he can’t add 25-30 assists. Topping out at around 55-60 points next season.

He might not be the flashiest player, but hard-nosed players are just as important. A pest, that is always in the goalie’s grille, creating havoc is necessary to win. He also has a penchant for tipping pucks, which will surely pad his point totals.

I don’t expect him to be an instant 30-goal scorer. But I don’t see why he can’t hit 50 points, should he secure a top-nine role.

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