Rafaël Harvey-Pinard's latest statement says it all about his future with the Montreal Canadiens

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Julien Trekker
April 25, 2023 (5:05 PM)

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Last week, the Laval Rocket was eliminated in a tough loss. The Utica Comets managed to tie the score with less than two seconds remaining in the third period, before winning in overtime, sealing their victory in the series.

The team returned to Place Bell for the annual season review. During this occasion, forward Rafaël Harvey-Pinard made an interesting statement during his media appearance. He suggested that his last game with the Rocket had probably taken place. Here are his words :

"I think I played my last game with Laval, but I repeat, the training camp is going to be so important. With all the injured Canadiens players coming back, I will have to prove that I deserve a full-time spot," said Rafaël Harvey-Pinard.

The player who was sent back to Laval at the end of the season, to help the team qualify for the playoffs made a strong impression with the Habs this season. He managed to score 14 goals and get 6 assists for a total of 20 points in 34 games played with the Canadiens.

These statistics are very impressive and almost guarantee him a place on the main roster next season. However, the player is aware that he will have to show up in good shape at training camp and perform well to convince the coach to trust him.

Although Rafaël Harvey-Pinard expressed his belief that his time with the Rocket was over, he is still proud of his Laval teammates. Despite the numerous recalls this season, the team managed to keep their heads up.

"It was a season with a lot of learning for me, but it didn't end the way I wanted it to, it's too bad, but I think the guys can be proud of participating in the playoffs with the number of injuries we had," added Harvey-Pinard.

The next step for Rafaël Harvey-Pinard will be to negotiate the terms of a contract with Kent Hughes for the next season, at least. Having the restricted free agent status this summer, he will undoubtedly seek a one-way contract with the Canadiens, and potentially for several seasons.

In case of disagreement, he will have the option of arbitration, but we hope he will not have to go there.