Alex Barré-Boulet

November 2019 – Alex Barré-Boulet has returned to Syracuse in the AHL for the 2019-2020 season and has seemingly not missed a beat from his pro rookie season. The 22-year-old leads the Crunch with eight goals and 15 points in 18 games played while playing on the team’s top forward line and top powerplay unit. Barré-Boulet remains a skilled and potent offensive force for the Crunch and still projects optimistically as a potential top-six NHL forward. Brandon Holmes

March 2019 – Though listed as a center, Barré-Boulet has settled into playing the right wing in Syracuse’s forward lineup and has become one of the AHL’s top forwards in his rookie season. Barré-Boulet has been a revelation for the Crunch this year as he ranks top five in the AHL in shot generation, tied for second in goals with 30, and tied for fifth in points with 58 in 64 games played while also leading all rookies in said categories. Barré-Boulet is a smallish forward standing at just 5-foot-10, though he makes up for his size with agile skating ability, excellent puck skills, and a capable shot. Barré-Boulet has become a dangerous option for the Crunch on the powerplay, and his offensive skill set should add him to the conversation as one of Tampa Bay’s top prospects. Brandon Holmes

October 2018 – The small, shifty winger has lived up to that billing so far this year in Syracuse. His offensive game has translated well to the AHL level, tallying five points in seven games played. His skill enables him to gain space in the offensive zone and he takes advantage of it. Like most highly skilled players who are looked over at the draft, he needs to continue to work on his defensive game. A year in Syracuse will tell us a lot about whether or not we will be seeing him in the Tampa Bay lineup any time soon. Jordan Deshane

March 2018 – After trading a duo of prospects in Brett Howden and Libor Hajek to the Rangers in the blockbuster McDonagh/Miller deadline deal, Steve Yzerman has wasted little time in re-adding to the Lightning prospect pool. Alex Barre-Boulet, a soon-to-be 21-year-old center-ice man playing for the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada of the QMJHL is currently leading the league in points by a substantial margin. His crafty style of play is unlike most other centerman in the Lightning pipeline, which could lend him an advantage when competing for a depth spot in the coming years.

While the Lightning have put a heavy emphasis on established two-way players selected in the entry draft, Barre-Boulet leans more heavily to the creative part of his game. The 5-foot 10-inch center leads the league in points by a wide margin, ahead of fourth-place fellow Lightning prospect Otto Somppi by nearly 30 points. While his offensive upside is substantial, the Montmagny native wasn’t passed over in two entry drafts for no reason. His foot speed is lacking which could limit him from making an impact in an NHL scoring role. If speed and skill is the future of the NHL, however, Barre-Boulet could prove to be a valuable signing for the Lightning and soften the blow of losing Howden to the Rangers. Brayden Olafson