The Montreal Canadiens made a small signing in the middle of the Free Agent Frenzy on July 1st. The signings were coming in fast and furious with some high cap hits, which made Kent Hughes' decision to stay quiet look like a good decision with the Habs' current situation. The Canadiens were in on players like Sean Monahan and Steven Stamkos, but in the end, their cap hits of $5.5 and $8 million respectively were too rich for a rebuilding team. The Canadiens signed Alex Barre-Boulet to a one-year, $775,000 contract with the Canadiens, which was also a one-way deal.
Barre-Boulet will fill a role in the bottom six for the Canadiens as they await some prospects to make the full-time jump to the NHL. Barre-Boulet has been a good player for the Lightning in limited action. He had 18 points in 68 games on the Lightning's fourth line but could earn a more prominent role in Montreal. He was a late-bloomer in the QMJHL, breaking out in the 2017 playoffs with 31 points in 20 games.
Dave Mishkin calls Barre-Boulet's goal pic.twitter.com/F0H3vYvWSe
— Bucs Rays Bolts (@BucsRaysBoltsYT) December 8, 2023
Barre-Boulet's 2017-18 season with Blainville-Boisbriand was one to remember. He recorded 116 points in 65 games during the regular season and 27 points in 19 games during the playoffs. If Barre-Boulet turns out to be a disappointing signing, it'll be no big deal as he costs the Habs $775,000 for one year. The Canadiens can place him on waivers and keep him in Laval for the season if no one claims him.
Best case scenario? He's an upgraded version of Rafael Harvey-Pinard, who had a good 2022-23 season but failed to live up to those expectations in 2023-24. Barre-Boulet could be a valuable signing and another scoring forward to add to the mix. He had 84 points in 69 games for the Syracuse Crunch in 2022-23 and, at the very least, will be a valuable player for the Laval Rocket.