Rafael Harvey-Pinard Done in the Canadiens Lineup? Things are Pointint Towards a Sad End for the Quebecer

Thanks to the rebuilding process initiated by Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes, many promising prospects are set to join the main club in the coming years, potentially displacing some players from Martin St-Louis's lineup.

In this context, Bob Trask made a bold prediction that might not sit well with many Montreal fans. He believes that the 25-year-old Quebec forward, Rafael Harvey-Pinard, might struggle to secure a spot among the 23 players eligible to play for the Canadiens at the start of the 2024-2025 season.

This would be quite a turn of events, especially considering that the left winger was a key element towards the end of last year. RHP performed well alongside Nick Suzuki, accumulating 20 points, including an impressive total of 14 goals, in just 34 games.

However, his role in the Bleu-Blanc-Rouge's lineup significantly decreased due to the return of some injured players, relegating him to the fourth line for the entire season. Additionally, Harvey-Pinard suffered two serious injuries this year, missing 37 of the Canadiens' 64 games.

Playing with less offensively talented players, his contribution drastically declined. After scoring 20 points in 34 games last year, RHP only managed one goal and six assists in 27 games this season.

It will be interesting to see what happens with the Quebec forward at the next training camp, but there's a sincere hope he can make Martin St-Louis's lineup. In our view, he deserves a spot more than veterans like Brendan Gallagher or even Josh Anderson.

Note that Rafael Harvey-Pinard is still under contract for next season, earning a salary of $1.1 million through 2024-2025.