The Montreal Canadiens' decision to send young defenseman Justin Barron to the Laval Rocket in the American Hockey League was indeed a surprise. While Barron has contributed offensively this season, his defensive shortcomings are significant enough to affect his consistent placement in Martin St-Louis's lineup.
Additionally, St-Louis recently paired Kaiden Guhle with Jayden Struble on the second defensive pair, moving Guhle to right defense. This change could disadvantage Barron, especially with top prospects like David Reinbacher and Logan Mailloux nearing NHL readiness.
Given the abundance of young defensive talent in the Canadiens' organization, Barron's future in Montreal seems increasingly uncertain. Journalist Marc-Antoine Godin, in «The Basu & Godin Notebook» podcast, made an interesting statement about the former Colorado Avalanche player.
Personally, despite high expectations for his offensive potential, trading Barron could make sense for the Canadiens. With promising defenders like Kaiden Guhle, David Reinbacher, Lane Hutson, Mike Matheson, Logan Mailloux, Arber Xhekaj, and Jayden Struble in the pipeline, Barron could find himself lower in the team's hierarchy.
Barron, who has tallied twelve points, including six goals, in 41 games this season, could appeal to teams looking for a young, offensive-minded defenseman. Additionally, observers believe the Halifax native has considerable trade market value.