Everyone agreed that Rafaël Harvey-Pinard had proven himself and was now an NHL player. All he needed was a proper new pact, and he finally got it on Monday.
General Manager Kent Hughes finally settled for this fans’ long-awaited affair by granting the Quebec CH darling, who had often said he wants to continue his career in Montreal, a two-year contract extension.
Harvey-Pinard, a restricted free agent, received a qualifying offer like five other CH players on Friday.
Negotiations did not drag on as the one now represented by agent Philippe Lecavalier, who has close ties to the Habs general staff, accepted an average annual salary of $1.1 million.
A blessing
Even though Harvey-Pinard is eligible for a raise after pocketing $825,000 over the past two seasons (including $70,000 while playing in the American League), it’s a godsend for the Habs organization.
The 24-year-old Saguenean managed to secure his place in the CH roster by dominating the NHL rookies with 14 goals following his recall on January 17. He also led the players in the first year of the Bettman Tour with 56 blocked shots.
Overall, Harvey-Pinard had 20 points in 34 games with the Canadiens after 31 points, including 16 goals, in 40 games with the Laval Rocket. He scored one goal in four games for the big club last season.
Only Cole Caufield (26), Nick Suzuki (26) and Josh Anderson (21) have given the Bleu Blanc Rouge more red lights in 2022-2023.
tea #GoHabsGo signed 24-year-old RFA Rafael Harvey-Pinard in a two-year, $1.1 million cap-hit deal
Year 1: $1.2M
Year 2 $1.0MUpon expiration, you will receive RFA with a qualifying offer of $1.0M and one year from UFA eligibility
14G 20P in 34GP
Representative: Phil Lecavalier @QuartexxHockey https://t.co/L8LCqTraAd
— PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) July 3, 2023
A transitional contract
The 1.75m tall, 80kg small forward will therefore have two seasons ahead of him to continue causing a stir, likely in hopes of hitting the jackpot afterwards.
“We will choose what is best for both sides. Both for the team and for me,” Harvey-Pinard said happily to his colleague Jonathan Bernier on the sidelines of the Canadian Formula 1 Grand Prix.
Unsurprisingly, Harvey-Pinard has been drawing praise from his teammates in recent months.
“He’s going to be a big part of our team,” Suzuki said after a win that saw the Quebecer score four points against the Columbus Blue Jackets in March.
“His work ethic is above average,” added coach Martin St-Louis. I also like its level of competition. He is very committed on both sides of the ice. It’s rare that he doesn’t do his job defensively. He can read the game well. Not just in terms of where the puck is going, but also where the opponent and teammates are.
Faster than McDavid
The former seventh-round pick, 201st overall, for the Canadiens in 2019 has consistently stunned pundits everywhere he’s been. He also impressed fans in the team’s skill competition, hitting four targets in just 9.311 seconds in the accuracy competition.
A notable performance, better than Connor McDavid’s during the NHL Stars’ Weekend. The Edmonton Oilers star clocked a time of 9.497 seconds in a four-for-four win.
A little more argument to convince the organization that it does have its place in education.
-In collaboration with Jean-François Chaumont and Jonathan Bernier