Montreal Canadiens Place Depth Forward On Waivers

The Montreal Canadiens have placed forward Alex Barre-Boulet on waivers.

The 27-year-old enjoyed a very solid training camp with his new team, to the point that the Canadiens preferred to send top prospect Joshua Roy to the Laval Rocket rather than Barre-Boulet.

Of course, Roy does not require waivers to join the Rocket in the AHL, whereas Barre-Boulet does, which may have influenced the decision. That being said, it would have been easier to sneak Barre-Boulet on waivers when every other team added tweener players to the waiver-wire prior to the start of the 2024-25 season.

Barre-Boulet is on a one-way contract, which means he receives NHL pay regardless of where he plays, and this may work in the Canadiens’ favour when it comes to interest from other teams. It’s one of the few situations in which the Habs can flex their financial muscle to ensure more stability throughout the lineup.

It’s also worth noting that the Canadiens could have told Oliver Kapanen his time with the team is over, and he was destined to join Timra IK in the SHL. They could have sent Emil Heineman to the AHL as well, as he does not require waivers. This decision points to the team establishing an important trust level with some of its top forward prospects.

Montreal Canadiens Reinforcing The Laval Rocket

Barre-Boulet was more than fine in his two NHL games with the Habs. He’s a hard worker that tends to drive the play up the ice with speed, which makes his offensive prowess a defensive tool in the long run, as the puck is usually in the offensive zone whenever Barre-Boulet is on the ice. That being said, the Canadiens have an overabundance of young, talented forwards in the mix, which means the bar has been raised in recent years when it comes to the ice time available to mid-range players.

The good news is that Barre-Boulet should provide important offensive reinforcements to the Rocket if he does not end up being claimed by another NHL team. He’s not just a good AHL player, he’s one of the best, as evidenced by point-per-game production in 294 career games.

In addition to Barre-Boulet, the Detroit Red Wings placed forward Ville Husso on the waiver wire on Sunday afternoon.