With the preseason drawing to a close and Opening Night a few days away, the Tampa Bay Lightning have two forwards that stuck out above the rest in their bid to make the final roster.
Both Waltteri Merela and Alex Barre-Boulet have worked hard and opened eyes during training camp in hopes of cracking the Opening Night lineup.
After going undrafted out of the Finnish league, Merela came into his first NHL training camp, not knowing what to expect. He proceeded to wow the coaching staff and even his veteran teammates by tallying two goals and two assists in a handful of preseason games. That included an impressive two goals in a 5-4 win over a lot of regulars for the Nashville Predators on September 30.
Playing everywhere from the second line to the fourth line, Merela proved he could perform well with anyone. That was proven in the final preseason game against the Panthers, where he won a puck battle, and it resulted in the game’s first goal by Tanner Jeannot. Merela made that play happen. Without him, things could have gone differently.
Head coach Jon Cooper had nothing but good things to say about the young Finnish forward, telling Lightning beat writer Chris Krenn (@Chris_Krenn), “The kid’s gotten better with every game. He looks more comfortable out there.” Cooper then went on to praise how Merela is able to use his bigger body to win puck battles before stating that he’s going to make the final decision tough on the coaching staff.
Meanwhile, Barre-Boulet has struggled to translate AHL success to the NHL. Last season, he was in this very spot and ended up on waivers when Gabriel Fortier and Cole Koepke won the final forward spots. He was claimed by the Seattle Kraken, but after 10 days there, the Quebec native ended up back on waivers. Julien Brisebois and the Lightning scooped him up, hoping that a second chance might be just what the young forward needed.
After spending most of last season with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch, Barre-Boulet came to training camp this season, hoping to make a positive impact. He started off well, scoring the Lightning’s first goal of the preseason in a 4-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on September 26.
Unfortunately, that was all of the points he put up in the preseason. He played all up and down the lineup as well, though recently, he skated on the third line. Coaches were pleased with his first game (as they should be) but have stayed mostly mum regarding him and his game recently.
Does that mean the decision has already been made? Only time will tell. Right now, Barre-Boulet and Merela have the inside track to grab the final roster spot up front.
Which one gets the honor of making the Lightning’s Opening Night roster? Will it be the undrafted Finnish forward or the AHL journeyman? While unknown, both have made a tremendous first impression. For that, they should be proud.
