Harvey-Pinard Injury Opens Door For A Canadiens Prospect

The Montreal Canadiens are in the midst of one of the quietest off seasons in recent team history. Such is life as a rebuilding team.

As it stands, the Habs are heading into next season with essentially the same lineup as they iced last year, though it should be noted some additional ice time will be available due to the transaction that saw veteran Sean Monahan join the Winnipeg Jets ahead of the 2024 trade deadline.

To make matters more interesting, the Canadiens announced forward Rafael-Harvey Pinard underwent surgery to repair a broken leg he suffered last week. It’s a devastating situation for the 25-year-old forward. His recovery period is expected to be four months, which means he will not participate in the team’s training camp, as he will not return to the lineup before November.

And while the prospect of a bounce-back season for Harvey-Pinard is now in doubt, his absence opens the door for one of the many Canadiens players who want to take the next step in their professional hockey careers.

Montreal Canadiens Reinforcements

One of the first names that comes to mind is Joshua Roy, however, given his well-rounded skill set and impressive production as a rookie last season, I would suggest he should already be considered a full-time member of the team. Of course, a poor training camp could change things, but the Habs simply do not have enough offensive firepower to keep a player like Roy out of the lineup. I’d even go as far as suggesting he is one of the few players who should be considered for permanent top-six duties.

Newcomer Alex Barré-Boulet has been champing at the bit for a legitimate opportunity to earn an NHL job after toiling in the Tampa Bay Lightning system for years. To be clear, the AHL standout has played 68 NHL games, but they have been spread out over the course of the last four years. The mere fact that he opted for a change of scenery this summer indicates that he understands the reality of his situation. Fair or not, he’s at risk of being permanently considered a hockey tweener, which means he’s already highly-motivated heading into the 2024-25 training camp. The Harvey-Pinard injury may end up being the unfortunate event that leads to Barré-Boulet’s permanent ascension to the NHL.

As for other options, there are a few players in the mix who were expected to spend a significant portion of the season playing for the Laval Rocket in the AHL. Owen Beck’s versatility and defensive acumen makes him one of the most interesting candidates. He’s younger than most of his counterparts, but his cerebral approach to the game makes up for his lack of professional hockey experience. That being said, the opportunity that arose with Harvey-Pinard’s injury does come with limited usage, which means the Canadiens may prefer to send Beck to the AHL, where the opportunities are bountiful.

His rookie season was interrupted by a concussion, but Emil Heineman quickly established a reputation as a goalscorer in the AHL nonetheless. Unfortunately, the underlying numbers produced during his short audition in the NHL were far from impressive. Much like Brandon Gignac, Heineman had a hard time finding his rhythm while playing for the Habs. This doesn’t necessarily mean they’re destined to spend the rest of their careers playing for the team’s AHL affiliate, but both players will have to hit the ground running at training camp if they want to convince Montreal Canadiens management they’re ready for a full-time promotion.

Heading down the line we find winger Sean Farrell, the Harvard standout who enjoyed a relatively solid rookie season in Laval, to the tune of nine goals and 19 assists in 47 games. It’s probably too early to suggest he’s NHL-ready, especially when we consider the job opening is for a player who will be given limited chances with an ever-changing carousel of line mates on the fourth line.