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Rafaël Harvey-Pinard: a one-year contract to boost his value quickly?

I’m just like everyone else. I fell in love with Rafaël Harvey-Pinard last season.

Yes, the fact that he’s from Quebec plays a role. But it’s above all the idea of seeing a player work his butt off, regardless of the opponent, that fascinates me. And, in addition to working his butt off in every game he played with the CH in 2022-2023 (34), he was able to achieve offensive success by registering 20 points, including 14 goals.

It’s easy to love a guy like RHP, we agree. But you also have to be realistic.

Just because he was successful last year doesn’t mean he’ll be able to repeat history next year. After all, he arrived at a time when the CH was already virtually eliminated from the playoff race, and he arrived under special circumstances when the club had several injured players…

And he arrived at a point where the pressure was off. I’m not taking anything away from his production. I’m just being realistic.

The Quebecer is currently without a contract for next season. And we know that his absolute desire is to sign a one-term deal:

For the reasons I mentioned above, it’s a bit difficult to determine his real value.

A short-term contract seems more likely in his case, again because he needs to prove himself in the NHL. And, with that in mind, Renaud Lavoie would like to see him sign a one-year contract to prove to everyone that he deserves his place in the best field hockey league on earth.

I don’t hate the idea. I really don’t. But why not?

Because Rafaël is a gamer. Ever since he started playing professionally, he’s been a bit of a surprise because he never stops working. Never, that is.

I’m convinced he’d do everything in his power to show what he’s capable of, and it’s true that it would be a great gamble for him. One year, at a minimal salary…

And if he performs well, he’ll reap the rewards of his efforts.

On the other side of the coin, there are risks involved. Big risks, in fact. Sure, it could work against him if he can’t live up to expectations… But it doesn’t seem to worry me at all.

Then again, he works harder than anyone else. And when you work harder than anyone else, whether in field hockey or in life in general…

The results are there.


Highlights

– Enjoy your reading.

– For those who miss field hockey :

– The free-agent market is about to open.

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