In his rookie season, Barre-Boulet posted 34 goals and 34 assists in 74 games with the Syracuse Crunch, tying him for the AHL lead in goals while being named rookie of the year.
This season, Barre-Boulet was playing at a similar pace, with 56 points in 60 games prior to the AHL season’s suspension and subsequent cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While he was invited to the Lightning’s training camp for the NHL playoffs, he and defenseman Cal Foote were left off the final roster, signalling an upward trend following Barre-Boulet’s performance in the AHL.
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The Crunch’s roster suffered this past season without 2018-19 leading scorer Carter Verhaeghe in the lineup, who spent this past season on Tampa’s fourth line. For the most part, Barre-Boulet was the sole driving force for the Crunch besides AHL veterans Gemel Smith and Cory Conacher. Tampa Bay’s roster is one of the stronger in the NHL, as evidenced by their impressive performance in this year’s NHL playoffs, following a shocking first-round exit last season to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Their lineup has been comprised of mostly mainstays for the past few seasons, leaving openings in the roster difficult to come across. While Barre-Boulet’s performance has been impressive, Verhaege’s spot is the only real one available, in my opinion, leaving me to wonder where his value lies in a potential trade.
Following the missed chance at acquiring Barre-Boulet, Montreal went out and got the next best thing. His two linemates in junior, and his former coach.