If Alex Barré-Boulet could rejoice in having survived the last cuts of the Canadian’s training camp, the celebrations will have been short-lived.
The organization announced this Sunday that it had placed the Quebecer’s name on waivers. If he is not claimed by another team in the league, he will be transferred to the Laval Rocket on Monday.
At 27, Barré-Boulet had, for the first time in his career, landed a position with an NHL club from the start of the calendar. In his first two games in Montreal, however, he was among the least used forwards on his team, and he was left out on Saturday against the Ottawa Senators. He did not score a point in two outings and had a differential of -2.
In a limited sample, it is true, Emil Heineman and especially Oliver Kapanen seemed to quickly overtake him in the attacking hierarchy.
His professional career, to date, has been marked by extended stints in the American League, a circuit in which he has dominated in recent years. He also played 70 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Seattle Kraken and Montreal Canadiens, recording 18 points.
In his final two seasons in Tampa, he was placed on waivers three times, but was never claimed.
Barré-Boulet signed a one-year contract with CH on 1er last July. This one-way NHL deal is expected to net him $775,000.
By removing him from the roster, the team necessarily frees up a position, and since no one on the injured list is ready to return to the game, we can expect that a player will be recalled from the Rocket and join the big club Monday. Defender Logan Mailloux could well be the lucky one, who is off to a great start in Laval with four points in two games.