SPECIAL COLLABORATION
This week, Billy Bertrand of Sportlogiq identifies three Quebec players who have something to prove this season in the NHL.
Alex Barré-Boulet
Prove he belongs in the NHL
QMJHL Most Valuable Player and CHL Player of the Year in 2018. AHL Rookie of the Year and Top Scorer in 2019. Named to two AHL All-Star Games. 302 points in 294 games in the minors.
Alex Barré-Boulet could hardly have done more in his career, especially for a player who was never drafted. And yet, he never managed to break into the NHL permanently. A very talented roster in Tampa Bay certainly didn’t help his cause and limited him to 68 games in five seasons (including two with Seattle), playing less than 15 minutes in 56 of those games.
His agreement with the CH this summer did not have much fanfare, drowned out in the news of July 1st. A solid training camp and a few injuries to the Canadiens’ forwards later, Barré-Boulet managed to force the organization’s hand and made the lineup for the opening game. At 27 years old and with a small frame, this could be his last chance to establish himself as an NHL player.
After all, he wouldn’t be the first player to find himself in this in-between; too good for the American league, but not good enough for the big league. CH fans only have to remember Charles Hudon, another talented little player who produced happily with the Canadian’s school club, but who never really managed to find his niche among the professionals.
It’s only two games, but ABB looked pretty good in his debut with the Habs. He spotted his teammates for several quality chances, notably with the second wave of the power play, where he generated opportunities for Gallagher and Newhook. He also completed this magnificent pass to Christian Dvorak at even strength against the Leafs.
After two games, he leads the club with 6 completed passes to the slot, despite the fact that he is the least used attacker among the 11 who played the two games. Obviously, we can’t expect Montreal to continue getting as many power plays (11 in two games), which will limit its opportunities. Either way, it’s a good first impression for Barré-Boulet and exactly the kind of energy and drive that could finally allow him to finally establish himself as an NHL player for good.
Pierre-Luc Dubois
Prove that he can still earn his contract
Few players have seen their value plummet as quickly as Pierre-Luc Dubois. A player who had said he wanted to play in Montreal at all costs, he finally found himself in Los Angeles in the summer of 2023. Dubois had scored at least 60 points in the last two seasons before the trade, flirting with the plateau of 30 goals (28 in 2021-22, 27 in 2022-23). A 6’4 center who can score 30 goals, it’s easy to see why the Kings were charmed by the idea, offering him a monster 8-year contract at $8.5 million per year.
Proving that last year wasn’t a fluke
After several seasons cut short by injuries,
Anthony Mantha managed to mostly avoid the infirmary last year, reaching the 70-game mark for only the second time in his career. This allowed him to score 23 goals, his best total since 2018-19. His production convinced the Golden Knights to trade 2nd and 4th round draft picks for his services, before landing a one-year contract with the Calgary Flames this summer.Related News :