The acquisition of Alex Barré-Boulet was the biggest that Kent Hughes made on July 1. Without diminishing the qualities of the 27-year-old athlete, however, it was not difficult to stand out from the crowd, because the CH has not signed any other players likely to join the big club. Since the announcement of his arrival, experts have been speculating about his destination next season: Laval or Montreal.
According to the analysis of several observers, the forward had no place in the Habs’ lineup. His lack of NHL experience (68 games) and his size were the two main factors that influenced this evaluation. He is also not known for his defensive responsibility. Given that he would have been positioned on the third or fourth line, his deficiencies made him not seem like the ideal candidate to occupy one of those lines. It was seen more as an insurance policy in case of injury or underperformance of a Canadiens player.
However, this was the analysis before the news about Rafaël Harvey-Pinard broke on July 26. The 25-year-old Quebecer is expected to be out for around four months and this long absence could give Barré-Boulet the opportunity to join the big club from the opening game on October 9. The position of RHP was not a sure thing in the Canadiens’ starting lineup and would most likely give way to the Bleu-Blanc-Rouge rookie. With Harvey-Pinard out, Alex Barré-Boulet has a good chance of securing a spot if he has a good camp. He never really had a chance to make a name for himself in the NHL and this could be his chance to do so.
During his 68 NHL games, the Montmagny native collected 18 points, including 12 goals. He spent most of his career in the American Hockey League with the Syracuse Crunch, where he scored a total of 302 points in 294 games.
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