Why Tampa Bay Lightning Depth Forward Should Crack Roster

With the 2024 season coming, the Tampa Bay Lightning released their training camp roster. The roster comprises 60 players and will eventually be 23 on opening night. One name that does not appear on Daily Faceoff’s line projections is 26-year-old Alex Barré-Boulet. However, Barré-Boulet is proving himself worthy of a roster spot at training camp. 

Alex Barré-Boulet Fighting For Roster Spot

The Lightning shuffled multiple pieces around in the bottom-six forward group this off-season. Tampa Bay lost their fourth line of Pat Maroon, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, and Corey Perry. While Julien BriseBois found replacements via free agency, Barré-Boulet is a young and enticing option. He boasts one of the best minor league resumes heading into the season.

Superstar AHL Resume

Barré-Boulet established himself as a superstar in the American Hockey League with the Syracuse Crunch. He finished second in league scoring during the 2023 season behind Michael Carcone. Barré-Boulet scored 20 goals and 64 assists for 84 points in 69 games. In addition, he added one goal and eight assists in five playoff games for the Crunch. The season prior, Barré-Boulet notched 16 goals and 47 assists for 63 points in 58 games.

Barré-Boulet earned the title of American Hockey League 2023 First All-Star Team. Furthermore, he is now the all-time leader in goals, assists, and points for the Crunch Franchise. Let’s see how Barré-Boulet has done in the NHL so far.

Limited NHL Experience

NHL experience for Barré-Boulet is limited because of the stacked rosters Tampa Bay produced over the years. He’s combined for 32 games in the past three seasons. Barré-Boulet made his NHL debut in a 15-game stint during the 2021 shortened season, recording three goals.

Then, the Lightning placed Barré-Boulet on waivers on October 10th, 2021. The tight salary cap left management no choice but to waive his rights. The next day, the Seattle Kraken scooped him up off waivers. Barré-Boulet played two games for the Kraken, recording one assist before being placed back on waivers on October 21st.

The Lightning jumped on the opportunity to regain their minor-league superstar. Barré-Boulet would play 14 games for the Lighting in 2022, registering three goals and five points. Barré-Boulet appeared in a single game during the 2023 season, where he was held pointless. The Montmagny, Quebec native shows promising upside in a depth role for the Lightning.

Alex Barre-Boulet Scouting Report

Barré-Boulet is known for his supreme offensive abilities and work ethic. The undrafted forward worked his way into the Lightning organization and is thriving. Standing at 5’10”, he is a tenacious forechecker who makes up for a lack of speed with his hockey IQ. His best attribute by far is his vision. Moreover, he recorded an impressive 0.87 assists per game in the AHL last season. Barré-Boulet struggled to find a depth role due to his questionable defensive play. However, valuable information from Lightning training camp may wash this concern away.

Training Camp Update and Outlook

The current Lightning third line at training camp consists of Barré-Boulet, Nick Paul, and Tanner Jeannot. While Barré-Boulet doesn’t play the best defence, Paul is a defensive stalwart to cover for his weakness. Jeannot scored a career-high 24 goals during the 2022 regular season. Adding the playmaking of Barrè-Boulet can help maximize Jeannot and Paul offensively. 

The Lightning are rested and ready to go for the 2024 season. The core is hungrier than ever following the extended off-season. Barré-Boulet is vital to the secondary scoring of the squad this upcoming season following the loss of Alex Killorn to the Anaheim Ducks. The minor league superstar finally earned his opportunity to make noise in the NHL.