Prior to their 5-3 loss to the Washington Capitals on Thursday night, the Tampa Bay Lightning made a couple of roster moves. First, they recalled forward Cole Koepke from the Syracuse Crunch. Then, later in the day, they placed Alex Barré-Boulet on waivers with the intent of loaning him to their AHL affiliate.
For Koepke, it’s his second stint with the Lightning this season. He made his NHL debut in 2022-23, recording 1 goal in 17 games. This year he was recalled in November and appeared in eight games, recording two assists before being reassigned to the Crunch. With Syracuse this season he has appeared in 36 games and recorded 13 goals along with 11 assists. He had been one of their better players recently, recording 5 goals in his last 5 games, including three straight games with a goal.
With the way Coach Cooper had been rotating Austin Watson and Alex Barré-Boulet recently, it was obvious that he was looking to spark something among the bottom-six forwards. Koepke was in the line-up on Thursday and he recorded 2 shots in 5:58 of ice time, all at 5v5. His line with Luke Glendening and Tyler Motte generated four shot attempts and one-scoring chance. They were also on the ice for one goal and one goal against.
He is a quick skater that can effectively forecheck and hopefully provide a little offense. One thing is for sure, he’s not afraid to shoot the puck. In Syracuse he had 110 shots in just 36 games. Only Jack Thompson had more with 113, and it took him 45 games to get there.
It might not be a long stay for Koepke. Tanner Jeannot is going to join the team on the upcoming road trip, but his status is still uncertain. Jeannot may play, or he may be on the sidelines until the Bolts return home.
On the flip side, Barré-Boulet has seen his playing time dwindle as the season has progressed. With the emergence of Mitchell Chaffee recently, there just didn’t seem to be a spot in the line-up for ABB anymore. The Lightning obviously hope that he clears through waivers and can help the Crunch in their own playoff push. In 36 games with the Lightning he had 6 goals and 3 assists, both career highs.
We know that he can score at the AHL level. It took him all of 271 games to become the Crunch’s all-time franchise leader in points with 283. He also leads them in goals (109) and assists (174). With only 130 penalty minutes, it will take him awhile to catch Jeremy Reich who has 820.
It’s not a given that Barré-Boulet will make it to Syracuse. While he hasn’t found his role in Tampa, a team looking to bolster their scoring depth, and with playing time available on the top-six could claim him as a reasonably inexpensive scoring option. The 26-year-old would likely want to remain in the NHL in order to help his case on the free agent market this summer.
When placed with scoring talent, Barré-Boulet has shown that he can play at the NHL level. The Lightning just didn’t have a spot for him on a regular basis, so much of his playing time came on the fourth line. It just isn’t a role his game is suited for. He’s tried to adapt, but he’s not someone who is going to stick playing defensive hockey. His calling card is offense and playmaking.
As he was placed on waivers yesterday, the 24-hour clock will expire at 2:00 pm EST. By then it’ll be known if a team had claimed him. The Crunch also recalled Bennett MacArthur from the Allen Americans of the ECHL, probably as insurance in case Barré-Boulet doesn’t clear.
