Introduction
When I wrote Rafaël Harvey-Pinard’s profile last year he was coming off a massive season for the Laval Rocket, acting as a leader for the club as they pushed deep into the Calder Cup playoffs. This year was just a continuation of that at the AHL level, where again Harvey-Pinard was a crucial cog for the Rocket as they qualified for the postseason for a second straight year.
His strong play did not go without notice either, and thanks to injuries at the NHL level, Harvey-Pinard earned an extended NHL look. In those 34 games he scored 14 goals, and added six assists while playing heavily inside the top six for Montreal. It was an arrival that even his biggest supporters (myself included) couldn’t have dreamed of, and forced the Canadiens to find an NHL spot for him in the upcoming season.
Harvey-Pinard has continued to play the same way he always has at the professional level — with relentless hustle inside the offensive zone and a knack for getting himself into the right areas at the right time. When playing with Nick Suzuki you could find RHP living around the opposing net, putting himself into spots to jam home rebounds or get a stick on pucks coming in.
With both Mike Hoffman and Rem Pitlick traded away, and with a new two-year deal in hand, it’s a huge year for Harvey-Pinard. He’ll have a chance, much like Jesse Ylönen, to earn a massive role with the NHL club heading into the preseason and it’s hard to bet against him earning it now.
Voting
The votes were a relatively small cluster compared to some other recent names, with the lowest voting being 16th, and the highest being my own at 10th. Personally his growth to playing as a bona fide top-six option was behind my ranking, while everyone else also ranked him above where he finished last year.
T25U25 History
| 2022: #17 | 2021: #18 | 2020: #30 | 2019: #34 |
The trajectory has only been upward for the forward, who ends his time in the series by rising for the fourth consecutive year.
History of #13
| Year | #13 |
|---|---|
| 2022 | Lane Hutson |
| 2021 | Josh Brook |
| 2020 | Jesse Ylönen |
| 2019 | Cale Fleury |
| 2018 | Jesse Ylönen |
| 2017 | Michael McNiven |
| 2016 | Noah Juulsen |
| 2015 | Martin Réway |
| 2014 | Dustin Tokarski |
| 2013 | Artturi Lehkonen |
| 2012 | Yannick Weber |
| 2011 | Ryan White |
| 2010 | Ryan White |
Strengths
When it comes to Harvey-Pinard, his biggest strength is his incredible flexibility across the lineup. When called up he was slotted into the fourth line, and quickly found himself rising through the lineup until he landed alongside Suzuki on the top line. Once he got there he stayed there until he was sent back to the AHL to help with the Rocket’s playoff push.
With a nickname like “Lavallagher” his playing style and on-ice production is a mirror image of a prime Brendan Gallagher. While that draws a different reaction now, it means above all else that Harvey-Pinard gets to the high-danger areas and creates chances and goals.
Between the two faceoff circles is where Harvey-Pinard lives, and it isn’t hard to see why. All he does is generate opportunities, or cash in on opportunities created by his linemates around the goal. Regardless of the line he finds himself on, that style doesn’t change and the production continues to be steady.
That inherent ability to play all over the lineup makes Harvey-Pinard an invaluable asset to the Montreal Canadiens. He doesn’t look out of place in the top six right now, but as top prospects continue to graduate into the NHL he can easily slide down the lineup and remain a highly effective piece of the team.
Weaknesses
Harvey-Pinard fulfills the old adage of “jack of all trades, master of none.” At this point in his career, he is what he is for better or for worse, and it seems unlikely that there will be another potential level of growth for him.
Without the high-end shooting skills of a Cole Caufield or Ylönen or deft playmaking talents of Suzuki, there is a ceiling for Harvey-Pinard in the lineup. Effort is always going to keep him in the NHL lineup but a higher-skilled player will more than likely surpass him in due time.
It’s hard to really point out a true weakness in Harvey-Pinard’s game, especially one that could be called a weakness. However, his lack of a true standout skill area does likely limit his long-term outlook as the other prospects continue to develop in the coming years.
Projection
This is a huge year coming up for Harvey-Pinard. He established himself as a true NHLer last year and has a chance to prove it wasn’t a fluke. With some of the veteran deadwood shipped out there are lineup spots open, and with a strong showing last year Harvey-Pinard has found himself pencilled into at least one of them.
His chemistry with Suzuki and his production down the stretch makes him an enticing option for a spot on the top line opposite of Caufield. Given his penchant for creating chances in dangerous areas, Harvey-Pinard would be an easy fit with the top two Habs’ scoring forwards. However, his flexibility to play on any line and making a fairly seamless transition between roles means that you could see him all over the lineup.
This is also his last year as part of this ranking too, as he’ll turn 25 in January. Rocketing up the rankings from 34th in his first year in the voting up to 13th thanks to his incredible efforts on the ice every single night. It’s fitting that someone who was passed over in the NHL Draft initially, and then only received an AHL contract before getting his first NHL deal. Underestimated but motivated we’ve seen Harvey-Pinard grow rapidly from an AHL fourth-liner to a surefire bet in the Canadiens lineup in just a few years.
He isn’t always the flashiest, but when you need goals scored in big situations, it’s hard to bet against the kid from Saguenay, Quebec.
Jared Book joins Patrik Bexell to discuss Harvey-Pinard on the podcast.
Marc-Antoine Lévis
