Rafael Harvey Pinard is ready to prove he belongs in Montreal

The season hasn’t gone the way that Rafael Harvey-Pinard has hoped, but that hasn’t deterred him. 

Officially cleared to return to action, Harvey-Pinard will head down to Laval for a stint with the Rocket. While it’s disappointing having to go back to the American Hockey League, he has kept things positive with a great mindset. It’s certainly frustrating to have a successful season, then struggle the next and battle through injury troubles.

As he alluded to, each season he has to prove himself and that couldn’t be more true. There is only room for 23 skaters on an NHL roster and there are healthy scratches and demotions every season. So, while he has hopes to get back to the Canadiens and to prove that he deserves an NHL role, he will have to start with the Rocket. 

I think with the influx of talent coming through the pipeline, either playing in Laval or with hopes to play in Montreal; Harvey-Pinard will benefit from proving himself this year or next. Otherwise, he could fall victim to the numbers game and find himself on the outside looking in. The thing with Harvey-Pinard is he is a relentless worker; much like Brendan Gallagher, and if he can stay healthy and get things back on track, I think he could be in the mix for a fourth-line role.

So he will have to prove himself, and the first stop is in Laval to get the ball rolling.

What does his future look like?

Realistically, Harvey-Pinard could play just a handful of games in Laval and find his way back to Montreal. The problem is, who comes out? Who has been playing so poorly that they deserve to be demoted to Laval? Also, another factor would be RHP having to leapfrog Michael Pezzetta.

I believe that Harvey-Pinard has more offensive skills than Pezzetta, but Pezzetta is the perfect, prototypical fourth-line winger. He hits hard and stands up for his teammates, but he is also quick and physical on the forecheck and backcheck. I do think that adding offence to the team is the direction the Canadiens are trying to go, however, so strong play in Laval could put him on the Habs' radar.

Harvey-Pinard scored 14 goals with the Canadiens during the 2022-23 season, and though his stats are inflated by his increased minutes; he is the one who scored the goals. Having said that, I don't expect him to be a 20-25 range goal scorer, but I think he could chip in 10-15 goals per season. His play will be the deciding factor, and I think he will be joining a strong young group that is pushing the envelope with the Rocket; this should be a perfect spot for him.