As soon as RHP was recalled, Nick Suzuki knew he wanted him on his trio

I don’t know many – really not many – people who saw Rafaël Harvey-Pinard enjoying such success with the CH last season.

He was recalled from Laval because he deserved it, of course… But let’s not forget that he was also recalled because of the numerous injuries. The Habs needed reinforcements, and the Quebecer’s recall made sense, given that he had been the Rocket’s best player since the start of last season.

But Rafaël Harvey-Pinard does things the right way. He never changed his style of play after being recalled, and his efforts combined with his enthusiasm enabled him to score 14 goals (and 20 points) in the space of 34 short games.

In a sample of 82 games, that’s 34 goals. Circumstances were in his favor, and he may never score that many goals in a single NHL season, but it’s still worth noting.

The chemistry between him and Nick Suzuki may have helped a little too. The two guys complemented each other superbly on the ice because of their respective styles, and the combination worked from the start.

The captain knew he was going to fit in with RHP. As soon as he saw him play a few games with the CH last season, he knew he wanted to be paired with the Quebecer sooner rather than later…

And that, to me, says a lot about the player Rafaël Harvey-Pinard is.

“Playing with him is just easy,” Suzuki told TSN 690 Radio:

It’s hard not to believe the captain.

After all, as he explains, Harvey-Pinard is often in the right place on the ice… And his willingness to work his butt off only makes his teammates’ job easier.

He’s a lot like the Brendan Gallagher of 2015 to 2020. We’re talking about a player who may not have the biggest frame…

But we’re talking about a player who isn’t afraid of anyone, and who plays like he’s 6’2 and 210 lbs.

The congestion at forward and the fact that RHP is exempt from the ballot for the coming season mean that his place in the team’s line-up is not guaranteed for the first game of the next campaign.

He’ll have to fight hard in training camp to get his place… But I have a feeling he’ll start the season “on top” if he keeps doing things the right way in camp.

And if circumstances don’t allow him to start the next campaign in the National League, I’ve got a feeling it won’t be too long before he gets an NHL call-up.

The good news is that we already know what he can bring to a big-league team on the ice.

Breaking news

– Great deal for the Wild. He had a great 2022-2023 season.

🗣️ ALL ABOARD! 🚌

We’ve signed goaltender Filip Gustavsson to a 3 year, $11.25M contract!

Full details “ https://t.co/njnkbosiAz#mnwild pic.twitter.com/b2nnhls4Nh

– Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) July 31, 2023

– Nice one.

– Are the Leafs done shopping?

– He’s been dominant this season, plain and simple.