Rafael Harvey-Pinard's time in Montreal nearly over? Major revelation

However, it's important to remember that these excellent performances came while playing on the first line with Nick Suzuki. A situation that, barring numerous injuries, should not recur in the near future. Having been relegated to the fourth line this season, his offensive contribution has drastically decreased.

Indeed, the seventh-round pick in 2019 has only managed to score one goal and seven assists (eight points) in 38 games, after being sidelined for several weeks due to two significant lower-body injuries. However, a very worrying statistic has recently come to light, leading some observers to question RHP's real potential.

Over his last seven games, despite averaging twelve minutes of play per game, the Saguenay-born forward has failed to record a single shot on goal. Moreover, since the beginning of the year, the number 49 of the Bleu-Blanc-Rouge has only made 23 shots towards the opposing net, explaining why he has so much difficulty replicating his exploits from the previous season.

Moreover, in his podcast, Tony Marinaro made a rather controversial statement about the Montreal Canadiens forward, indicating that, this season, Rafael Harvey-Pinard is not an NHL-caliber player.

Knowing that he will be entering the last year of his contract during the 2024-2025 campaign, the Quebecer will absolutely need to find a way to produce more if he wants Kent Hughes to offer him a contract extension within the organization. Unfortunately, knowing that few forwards will leave the team this summer, it wouldn't be surprising if he were once again relegated to the fourth line, even if his level of effort is significantly higher than that of Josh Anderson.

Could this situation lead to a split between the Canadiens and the 25-year-old forward?

It would be really sad if such a situation were to occur because if RHP played alongside talented forwards, I'm convinced he would be able to accumulate his share of points. However, he is handcuffed alongside Jesse Ylonen and Michael Pezzetta, two players whose offensive contribution is really non-existent.

Although no one wishes for injuries, if a winger like Anderson or Gallagher were to miss a few weeks of activity next year, he could seize this opportunity and thrive in the top 9 of Martin St-Louis, thus forcing General Manager Kent Hughes to offer him a new deal.

Do you think Rafael Harvey-Pinard will get a contract extension next summer?