Jan 28, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens left wing Rafael Harvey-Pinard (49) looks on during warm-up before the game against the Winnipeg Jets at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images

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Montreal Canadiens Reassign Rafael Harvey-Pinard to Laval Rocket

Montreal Canadiens send forward Rafaël Harvey-Pinard to the AHL's Laval Rocket for further development and roster flexibility.

The Montreal Canadiens announced on Friday that winger Rafael Harvey-Pinard has been loaned to the Laval Rocket in the AHL. This move leaves the team with two open roster spots, as Emil Heineman was placed on injured reserve earlier in the week, according to PuckPedia.

Harvey-Pinard, 26, made his season debut on Thursday in a 2-0 loss to the Minnesota Wild. It was a quiet night for the forward, who played just under nine minutes, recorded one hit, and saw his team outshot 4-2 during his even-strength shifts.

Les Canadiens ont cédé l'attaquant Rafaël Harvey-Pinard au Rocket de Laval.

The Canadiens have loaned forward Rafaël Harvey-Pinard to the Laval Rocket. pic.twitter.com/fKtP2HliB8
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) January 31, 2025

It’s been a tough season for Harvey-Pinard, who’s struggled to find his rhythm. A broken leg during offseason training sidelined him through training camp and into the fall. When he returned in mid-November, the Canadiens sent him to the AHL on a long-term injury conditioning loan. Instead of bringing him back to the NHL roster after the loan ended, the team placed him on waivers to keep him in Laval.

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Despite his affordable $1.1M cap hit and past success, including 14 goals and 20 points in just 34 games two seasons ago, no other team claimed him.

Unfortunately, Harvey-Pinard hasn’t been able to rediscover his scoring touch. In 24 games with Laval this season, he has just four goals and seven assists, a far cry from his 31 points in 40 AHL games during the 2022-23 season. His NHL opportunity this past week was short-lived—he was a healthy scratch for two games before getting into the lineup. With his lackluster performance this season, it’s unlikely the Canadiens will extend him a $1M qualifying offer, potentially making him an unrestricted free agent this summer.

As for Heineman, his placement on injured reserve doesn’t change his recovery timeline. The forward has been out since January 13 after sustaining an upper-body injury as a pedestrian in a traffic accident. He’s expected to be sidelined for about another week.

Image Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images

Montreal Canadiens

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Rafael Harvey Pinard

Anamika Shrivastava

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