Canadiens place Rafael Harvey-Pinard on IR, recall Jayden Struble

Unable to play in the team’s last two games due to a lower-body injury, the Montreal Canadiens announced they have placed forward Rafael Harvey-Pinard on injured reserve. In a corresponding move, the Canadiens have recalled defenseman Jayden Struble from their AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket.

This is not the first time Harvey-Pinard has been injured this season, as he missed several games earlier in November, also with a lower-body injury. Only playing in 13 games for Montreal up to this point, Harvey-Pinard has tallied four assists while averaging just over 13 minutes of ice time per game.

Last year, Harvey-Pinard split time between the Canadiens and the Rocket, playing in 34 and 40 games, respectively. After a 14-goal and six-assist performance for Montreal last year, the team rewarded him with a two-year, $2.2M contract, offering him a full-time spot on the roster.

Struble came over to the Canadiens as the 46th overall selection of the 2019 NHL Draft, playing for Northeastern University of the NCAA before joining Laval at the end of last season. In 12 games played for the Rocket this season, Struble has scored one goal and five assists.