RHP Review
March 23, 2024
By Bob Trask
Habs fans were perhaps prematurely overjoyed with the scoring success that Rafael Harvey-Pinard enjoyed after notching 14 goals in his first 38 NHL games. Simple calculations projected that number to be 33 goals over the course of a full season. But projecting performance in the NHL is not that simple. RHP’s stats were influenced by two factors. He had an unsustainable shooting percentage of 23.4% and he scored 4 power play goals. The median shooting percentage among forwards is closer to 12% and scoring at that rate would immediately halve his production. If you also accept the fact the RHP is likely to see very little PP time going forward, you can subtract those goals at the man advantage. Suddenly a production level of something closer to 12 or 13 goals in a full season seems more realistic. Would that earn him a spot on the Habs? Probably, because he brings a lot of hustle and the ability to kill penalties to the team. But he will face competition and Habs fans should dismiss the notion that he will compete for a spot in the top 6 and maybe even the top 9. His performance during the remainder of the season will help determine his fate.