ABB is back with the Bolts

The last 13 days have been eventful to say the least for Alex Barre-Boulet.
The skilled 24-year-old forward was one of the final cuts of the Tampa Bay Lightning in training camp when they had to set their Opening Night roster the day before the start of the 2021-22 season.
The Lightning were hoping to send Barre-Boulet back to Syracuse to start the season and bring him back in case of an injury or his play with the Crunch warranted a call-up. But he needed to go through waivers first to complete the transaction to Syracuse, and he was claimed by the expansion franchise Seattle Kraken.
It appeared Barre-Boulet had made his last appearance as a member of the Lightning organization.
Bolts nation, however, hadn't seen the last of him.

Barre-Boulet made his Kraken debut in the franchise's second-ever game October 14 at Nashville. He notched an assist on Seattle's third goal for his first career NHL assist. And he was on the ice for the first win in Kraken history, a 4-3 victory over the Predators.
He skated again two nights later when the Kraken lost in overtime at Columbus.
On Friday, Barre-Boulet was again put on waivers, this time by Seattle, for the purposes of sending him to the American Hockey League and continuing to develop his game. With Nikita Kucherov out for the foreseeable future after he was injured in Tampa Bay's third game of the season, the Lightning had a need for a player who could slot into their top six and claimed Barre-Boulet back from the Kraken.
"I knew coming in (to training camp) it's hard to crack the top six with the type of players they have here," Barre-Boulet said as he spoke to media for the first time since his return Saturday morning. "Obviously, I was disappointed but at the same time I was going to work hard in Syracuse to make my way back here. When I got picked up by Seattle, I was happy to get another shot in the NHL. I think they weren't expecting maybe that their Covid stuff was going to be false-positives, so I ended up back on waivers. It went pretty well. I wasn't disappointed or anything. I really wanted to come back when I found out I was on waivers."
Barre-Boulet arrived in Tampa late Friday night and was on the ice for the Bolts' morning skate Saturday ahead of their home contest versus the Colorado Avalanche (7 p.m. puck drop). Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said he won't play tonight but could figure into the Bolts' future lineups.
"He probably logged a few airline miles on his ticket," Cooper said, jokingly. "We didn't want to lose him in the first place. Understand why teams grab guys off waivers. Everybody's in a different situation. Good to have him back, especially in a time when adding a little bit of skill to our lineup can help."
Barre-Boulet said he was in Seattle waiting for the arrival of his wife from Quebec City when he got the news he would be rejoining the Lightning organization. His wife was in Toronto on a layover, waiting for her flight to Seattle. She was going to join her husband for Seattle's first home game in franchise history tonight versus Vancouver. At first they were unsure if she should continue her journey west, but then they decided to make the best of the unusual situation.
"It was a wild 48 hours," Barre-Boulet said. "…She came, we had a little vacation over there and now we're back here."
Barre-Boulet said he saw the Kucherov injury news while he was with the Kraken and thought he might have missed his chance to make an impact in the Lightning lineup. When Tampa Bay cut him from the final roster, it was partially because two other rookie forwards Boris Katchouk and Taylor Raddysh were better suited to play a heavier, more physical game required on the bottom two lines, where the Lightning had roster openings entering the season. Barre-Boulet is projected more as a top six forward because of his immense skill with the puck on his stick. He was named the AHL Rookie of the year with Syracuse in 2019 and ranked tied for first in the AHL for goals.
"Soon as I saw that Kuch was out, I was like, 'Aw, that was my shot to be in Tampa,'" Barre-Boulet said. "I'm going to work hard even though if I'm not playing or I'm in. I'm not going to change my work ethic. If they need me on the fourth line, I'll be ready. If they need me in the top six, I'll be ready too."
Barre-Boulet will likely get a chance to remain with the Bolts and fill in for however long Kucherov remains out.
"He's played with a number of lines," Cooper said. "He's got a really high skill set. It's no secret he just keeps continuing to work on his skating and his explosiveness. He may not be the fastest kid, but he can play the game pretty fast. He's quick. A skill set that might help us here as we move forward."
Last season with the Lightning, he skated in 15 games, making his NHL debut on February 22 at Carolina, and scored three goals, two of those coming on the power play. His ability to play special teams could be needed too as the Lightning continue to search for a formula that works on the power play. That unit ran through Kucherov when he was on the ice but will have to adjust until he's able to return.
Barre-Boulet said he's better suited in his second go-round with the Lightning because of what he learned in his first stint with the team as well as his brief stay with Seattle.
"You can't take a day off here," he said. "You have to work hard every single day. Small details make a huge difference. I think that's what I learned the most last year. You're on the ice against, if you're on the fourth line or the first line, they all can make plays. They can all skate well and shoot the puck well, so you have to work hard every single shift. You can't take anything off. That's what I learned the most."