Canadiens sign Harvey-Pinard to 2-year, $2.2M contract

The Montreal Canadiens signed forward Rafael Harvey-Pinard to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $1.1 million, the team announced Monday.

Harvey-Pinard scored 14 goals and 20 points in 34 games with the Canadiens last season as a rookie. He was a restricted free agent.

The Saguenay, Quebec, native made his season debut with Montreal on Jan. 17. Harvey-Pinard led all rookies in goals after this date. He was awarded the Canadiens' Molson Cup in March.

Prior to being recalled by Montreal, Harvey-Pinard tallied 16 goals and 31 points in 40 contests with the AHL's Laval Rocket.

The 24-year-old doesn't require waivers to be sent down in the fall, and his new cap hit can be completely buried in the AHL. He'll be a restricted free agent on the expiration of his new contract and will require a $1-million qualifying offer in 2025.

The Canadiens have just under $10 million of space after the signing, per CapFriendly. This projection includes Carey Price's $10.5-million cap hit on long-term injured reserve.