Canadiens' Harvey-Pinard will miss significant time after leg surgery

The Montreal Canadiens have announced that Rafael Harvey-Pinard underwent successful surgery yesterday after suffering a broken leg.

It was reported this past Sunday that he had suffered a knee injury at a recent sporting event.

#TSLH is reporting that Rafael Harvey-Pinard recently suffered an injury to his right knee during a recent sporting event with current & recent #Rocket players.

Harvey-Pinard was in uniform for only 45 games last season due to a couple of lower-body injuries that forced him to… pic.twitter.com/0ELF80Blyx

— Chris G (@ChrisHabs360) July 21, 2024

As it turns out, the injury was suffered during a summer pick-up game between NHL and AHL players.

It wound up being worse than anyone expected, and the Canadiens have announced that Harvey-Pinard will need roughly a four-month recovery. Should that timeline be accurate, he wouldn’t return to the lineup until late November or early December.

L’attaquant Rafaël Harvey-Pinard a subi jeudi une intervention chirurgicale à la suite d’une fracture à une jambe. La période de convalescence prévue pour l'ailier de 25 ans est d’une durée de quatre mois.

Forward Rafaël Harvey-Pinard underwent successful surgery on Thursday… pic.twitter.com/3MdlacZbks

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) July 26, 2024

This is a huge blow for Harvey-Pinard, who was limited to just 45 games this past season due to a variety of lower-body injuries. During those 45 games, he chipped in with two goals and 10 points.

This injury could cost Harvey-Pinard a roster spot, as he was one of several Habs players who seemed to be on the bubble heading into this year’s upcoming training camp. While the 2019 seventh-round pick has proven the ability to produce big numbers in the AHL, he struggled to do so with the Habs this past season.

On top of being forced to jump back into the NHL or perhaps AHL on rusty footing, Harvey-Pinard will also not have the benefit of training over this last stretch of the offseason. On top of all that, he’s also entering the final year of a two-year contract.

Given the lengthy absence, Harvey-Pinard is likely to start the season out on the injured reserve. This could open the door for a depth forward such as Michael Pezzetta, or perhaps even recent free-agent acquisition Alex Barre-Boulet to earn a spot on the Canadiens opening night roster for the 2024-25 season.

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