Last season, Rafael Harvey-Pinard played in just 45 games, missing time with a lower-body injury. When the news came out Friday that the Canadiens’ forward would be inactive over the next four months while recovering from surgery to repair a broken leg, many Habs supporters couldn’t help but pity the Jonquiere-born winger.
That being said, RHP’s absence opens up a spot in the lower-six forwards for another aspiring NHLer to capture significant playing time. There are a few names that come to mind and three will be detailed here:
Alex Barre-Boulet
The newest, and only, free agent acquisition from Montreal this off-season, Alex Barre-Boulet returns to his home province knowing that he’s going to spend time between Laval and Montreal. Having spent the past four seasons commuting between Tampa Bay and their AHL affiliate in Syracuse, signing with Montreal means he’ll be able to spend more time with his family.
Barre-Boulet has not had much opportunities in the NHL. He’s appeared in 68 games over four years, and you’d best be sure that he’s gunning for that open roster spot come training camp. He may only have 18 NHL points to his name, but he has performed brilliantly in the AHL, totalling 302 points in 294 games.
He is traditionally a centreman, but his speed is dynamic enough to cover ground, and he should have no problem taking up the wing. He is most likely the frontrunner for viable options to take the place of RHP on opening day.
Joshua Roy
In his rookie campaign in the AHL, Joshua Roy totalled 32 points in 41 games. If coach Martin St-Louis is looking for a player who utilizes his teammates to create scoring chances as a means to bolster the bottom part of the forwards, the St-Georges de Beauce born attacker brings this part of his game to the table.
In his 23 NHL games, he tallied nine points, but don’t let that skew how you view Roy’s production. He has a knack for fitting in with pretty much any linemate he’s paired with and has solid instincts that will grow sharper with more playing time in the NHL. While I don’t see him beating out Barre-Boulet, who has more professional seasons under his belt, it’s an exciting hypothesis to see him spend time as a Hab sooner rather than later in the season.
Owen Beck
Let’s just address the obvious; Owen Beck is not the replacement for Harvey-Pinard at this point in his career. I enjoy writing about the Memorial Cup Champion, so let’s just have some fun by making the case in favour of his NHL participation.
Beck is a solid two-way player whose hockey IQ is spoken of but never spoken about enough. His performance in the Memorial Cup playoffs should be talked about for years to come, with 14 points amassed in 17 games and garnered him the tournament MVP honors. He has a World Junior gold medal to his name, as well as an impressive ability to win faceoffs, leading the U20 WJC tournament with a winning percentage of 69.23 percent. While he would be asked to play the wing if he was named the replacement, it’s still a unique tidbit to mention.
Beck clearly needs a year in the AHL before he dresses for the Canadiens, that way, the front office can evaluate how much his skills in the CHL translate to the professional echelon. In the meantime, how he does in training camp will prove to be the first instance for said evaluation.
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