The Montreal Canadiens resolutely intend to do everything to help their school club reach the American League playoffs. The organization announced this Sunday morning that it had ceded forwards Jesse Ylönen and Rafaël Harvey-Pinard to the Laval Rocket.
Goalkeeper Cayden Primeau and defender Corey Schueneman also made their way to Île Jésus, which was rather predictable since they had been the subject of emergency recalls the day before.
With three games to go, the Rocket are in the midst of a three-team race for the last available spot in the North Division of the circuit. Saturday’s win over the Cleveland Monsters, one of his pursuers, gave him a boost to stay, for now, in the leader’s seat in this run. The Monsters, one point behind, however, have one more game to play.
Both Ylönen and Harvey-Pinard spent the entire winter in Montreal. The Finn shuttled from the first to the fourth line, but the Quebecer consolidated his place as one of the sure values of a decimated team.
Since joining the Canadiens last January, Harvey-Pinard has amassed 20 points, including 14 goals, in 34 games. He is now the permanent left winger on the first line piloted by Nick Suzuki. Ylönen, in a more subdued role, has found a way to collect 16 points in 37 games since the start of the NHL season, but trails a pesky -11 differential.
Then we’ll see what the organization does with the four players affected by Sunday’s trade, as they may well need three of them against the Islanders. Barring a quick return to health for goaltender Jake Allen and defender Jordan Harris, combined with a surprise reappearance for Kirby Dach, we can expect Primeau, Schueneman and a forward to be recalled. The presence of Sean Farrell in the entourage of CH represents the only leeway for head coach Martin St-Louis to juggle his training.
