No one knows what went on exactly in negotiations between the Montreal Canadiens and recent-signee Alex Barre-Boulet. Maybe general manager Kent Hughes opened the door for the ex-member of the Tampa Bay Lightning to make the Habs roster out of training camp for 2024-25, maybe not. If Hughes did though, he’s got a lot more room to make this offseason.
No Room for Barre-Boulet
The Canadiens simply don’t have room up front as their roster currently stands for an undersized 5-foot-10 (178 pounds) 27-year-old, with only 68 games of NHL experience (294 in the American Hockey League). Regardless of where he originates (Quebec), there is no tear in the time-space continuum large enough for the Canadiens to change the make-up of their roster at the flip of a hat to appease the local media.
The first line is set. The second should be as well, assuming Kirby Dach is healthy. There might be some wiggle room for head coach Martin St. Louis in his bottom six, but, based on Barre-Boulet’s questionable defense, it’s far from ideal to deploy him in a checking role, much less when he’s got veterans like Christian Dvorak, Joel Armia, Brendan Gallagher and Jake Evans with whom to contend.
Some combination of Alex Newhook, Josh Anderson and Joshua Roy should make up the aforementioned second line alongside Kirby Dach. One of those three will inevitably shift down, leaving a single regular spot for either the subject of this piece or Rafael Harvey-Pinard in a projected battle of the hyphenates. Just imagine the promotional build-up.
Related: Likeliest Canadiens Lines Dach Will Centre in 2024-25
Even if Hughes were to work his magic and ideally trade Dvorak this offseason, does it really make sense for Barre-Boulet to jump the queue? Ahead of a prospect like Emil Heineman, whose skill set arguably aligns more with what would be expected of a bottom-six forward?
Barre-Boulet vs. Andersson
Now, signing Barre-Boulet wasn’t a bad decision. Similar to last season with signing unrestricted-free-agent Lias Andersson, it gives the Canadiens options. As Andersson had ties to executive vice president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton from his days with the New York Rangers, the signing presented a superficial risk that he would steal ice time from someone in the organization with more to offer. All it did in reality was give the Canadiens more organizational depth in the event injuries…
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