With big names flying off the board to open free agency, Kent Hughes decided to make more of a minor move for his club that wasn’t prepared to go all-in on contending just yet. He signed Alex Barré-Boulet to a one year deal, which carries an average annual value of $775,000.
Now 27, Barré-Boulet has spent the entirety of his professional career in the Tampa Bay Lightning organization, mostly playing in the AHL with the Syracuse Crunch, but also getting into 68 NHL games, contributing 18 points. He will have the Canadiens as an option this season after signing an NHL deal, but he will likely, once again, see the majority of his time in the minors with the Laval Rocket.
In 2022-23 in Syracuse, he scored 24 goals and added 60 assists in 69 games. Hughes will hope he can play at a similar level for the Canadiens’ AHL affiliate.
