Rafael Harvey-Pinard Has Been More Than I Expected

Rafael Harvey-Pinard has been a pleasant surprise for the Montreal Canadiens. He had some nice numbers in five seasons in the QMJHL and he was a solid scorer for sure but how much would translate. That’s always the question.

At 5’9” in today’s NHL, that’s one reason why some players drop in the draft. Team are more willing to take that perceived risk in the middle to late rounds. In my eyes, he’s already overcoming the odds. His numbers in Laval have been good. Good goal scoring numbers with 21 in 2021-22. Then in 2022-23, he had 16 with the Rocket and 24 with the Canadiens. That was a great year.

This season, goals have been harder to come by for him and a few other Canadiens. He is recovering from a fractured leg. That’s a big deal, Currently with Laval, he has three points in 11 games. That has to improve or he won’t get called back up.

From what I can see, he’s not shooting enough. He’s averaging less than two shots per game. Harvey-Pinard has a slick one timer for sure. His shot gets on net. So I expect this to improve.

I have seen him get knocked around a little, but I bet after he has a few more weeks to heal, that he finds his game again. Injuries can take a young player out of their rhythm. I think there’s a good chance that he will so maybe later this season he will get another shot.