Alex Barre-Boulet's demotion may have come as a shock to some Montreal Canadiens fans. Barre-Boulet seemed like a player that could lockdown bottom six minutes after his preseason and the first couple of games. He was the perfect replacement for Rafael Harvey-Pinard, a plug-and-play winger who could kill penalties, fill a role on the powerplay, and give reliable minutes. However, the Canadiens placed him on waivers this weekend to send him to the Laval Rocket.
The demotion was more of a compliment to Oliver Kapanen and Emil Heineman than a slight to Barre-Boulet. The Canadiens wanted Barre-Boulet to be a staple in the lineup, but they couldn't do it at the expense of the two youngsters. Marco D'Amico reported on RG.org that the Canadiens are still trying to decide on Kapanen. They can't send him to the American Hockey League for 60 days, forcing the Canadiens to send him back to Sweden if they didn't have a spot for him.
I've seen no reason why the Canadiens shouldn't keep Kapanen around for the season. However, there is no way to predict if he can maintain this form for an entire season. The Canadiens could be keeping Kapanen around for the 60 days before using the loophole to send him to Laval. The 60-day duration could line up with Patrik Laine returning to the lineup, and the Canadiens would then need to send a roster player down.
It isn't great news for Barre-Boulet. Barring any major injuries, the Canadiens will likely keep their roster the same until Laine returns and then make a difficult decision on Kapanen. If the Habs are serious about being contenders, Kapanen should stay. However, if the rebuild is still on this season, the AHL loophole may be used to help him develop into an even better NHLer for 2025-26.