Rafaël Harvey-Pinard is a Victim of Enormous Disrespect from the NHL
Rafaël Harvey-Pinard was undoubtedly one of the biggest surprises for the Tricolore last year. The 24-year-old Quebecer took advantage of numerous injuries within the Canadiens to carve out a place in Martin St. Louis's lineup around mid-season, a chance he greatly seized.
Indeed, the forward was incredible during his stay in Montreal, amassing an impressive total of 14 goals and 6 assists (20 points) in 34 games. Despite not even playing half the season with the main team, RHP finished the year ranked 4th among the team's top scorers.
His remarkable performances notably earned him a two-season contract extension with the Canadiens. For the first time in his career, Harvey-Pinard signed a one-way deal, suggesting that he would be an important element in the Tricolore's lineup in 2023-2024.
However, the NHL delivered a real slap in the face of the forward when, in a recently published text, RHP does not even appear in the first four lines of the organization, thus implying that he could be the team's 13th forward when the season kicks off.
Here is the lineup projected by the NHL:
-Alex Newhook � Kirby Dach � Josh Anderson
-Mike Hoffman � Christian Dvorak � Brendan Gallagher
-Juraj Slafkovsky � Jake Evans � Joel Armia
-Mike Matheson � Justin Barron
-Kaiden Guhle � David Savard
-Arber Xhekaj � Jordan Harris
-Jake Allen
-Samuel Montembeault
Personally, we completely disagree with this projection. Harvey-Pinard has proven that he absolutely deserves his place in the lineup over some players such as Mike Hoffman and Joel Armia.
Furthermore, number 49 is a real spark plug for his teammates, always finding a way to produce offensively on any line where he is placed. This is a huge advantage not to be overlooked when the Canadiens' head coach will set his lines for the inaugural game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on October 10th.
Capable of playing a role in the bottom six, he also showed that he can have a key role on the team's first two lines, having had his best moments last season alongside Nick Suzuki.
Compared to some passengers who clearly no longer have their place with the CH, Rafaël Harvey-Pinard is a hard worker who always gives his 110% every time he jumps on the ice. He must absolutely be part of Martin St. Louis's lineup when the 2023-2024 season starts.
Credit: DansLesCoulisses
| POLL | ||
In your opinion, where will Rafaël Harvey-Pinard play next season? | ||
| In the top 6 | 30 | 19.1 % |
| On the third line | 92 | 58.6 % |
| On the fourth line | 22 | 14 % |
| 13th forward | 13 | 8.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
