Indeed, Thursday night's game against the Canucks was his 70th career NHL game, which means he is no longer exempt from waivers. If the Canadiens want to send him down to the AHL, he will have to go through waivers.
This is very revealing about the team's intentions. If the intention was to send him down, the organization would have done so before Thursday, which was not the case.
As of today, if the Canadiens were to place RHP on waivers, given his qualities as a player, as a person, and his salary, all 31 other teams would automatically be interested, without a shadow of a doubt.
Despite a tougher season in terms of injuries and statistics, RHP's work ethic will never be questioned. He is likened to a Swiss Army knife for his versatility, and that's a very accurate comparison.
In short, if you had any doubts because he's having a less productive season, think again. Raphael will stay with the Canadiens no matter what, and that's really great news!
In 70 NHL games, RHP already has 16 goals and 29 points. For a player drafted in the 7th round and overlooked by all teams multiple times, that's quite extraordinary. If the draft were to be redone, he would undoubtedly be a first-round pick.
POLL | ||
Do you think the Canadiens are making a good decision by keeping Raphaël Harvey-Pinard in the NHL despite the waiver rule? | ||
Yes | 189 | 67.3 % |
No | 92 | 32.7 % |
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