The Canadiens’ Justin Barron was one of the suggested names in a recent Athletic article looking for defenseman that would suit the Oilers
In a recent article published on July 29, The Athletic’s Allan Mitchell wrote about potential defensive acquisitions that could work for the Edmonton Oilers. The Canadiens’ Justin Barron was one of the suggested names.
Mitchell cited a few reasons behind the hypothetical move. The main factors are his six-foot-two, 195-pound frame, and impressive defensive acumen on five-on-five play. Barron has not proved that offensively he is a wunderkind, but he is young and improving every season. While the Oilers are carrying a win-at-all-costs mentality following a Stanley Cup final run that saw the Alberta-based club claw their way back from a 3-0 deficit to force a game seven, there would be very little pressure on the budding defender to help produce scoring chances.
The article of course comes a day before Barron signed a new two-year contract with the Canadiens valued at $2.3 million. This means that the Montreal club has control over his rights for the next couple of years, but not that the trade can’t still happen.
Yes, the Habs’ front office is indeed looking to grow their youthful selection of talented players into mature contributors at the NHL level. Once upon a time, Barron’s right-hand shot was enticing and important for the Canadiens to have on their roster, but with David Reinbacher, Logan Mailloux and Kaiden Guhle (who has demonstrated that he can play both sides well enough despite shooting left-handed) all on the cusp of making the big times, the Halifax-born defender’s most promising asset is no longer that big a deal.
The move would also solve a problem that the front office is aware of, Barron’s need to clear waivers if he were to be moved to the AHL. This has been the decisive issue that has interfered with any thought of him being sent down to make room for another player. The problem is that I don’t see how it fits with Edmonton, considering that they have veteran talent in Evan Bouchard, Darnell Nurse, Cody Ceci and Brett Kulak patrolling the ice already. His production is enticing, however, and his age and size are similar to Philip Broberg with a few more games under his belt.
The young defender’s current contract is a prove-yourself signing, and he will need to make his case for staying in a pool filled with potential upside. If you compare it to the recent six-year extension given to Kaiden Guhle, the team can move Barron if they feel there’s a better fit to the lineup. I’ll still hold out hope for a strong 2024-25 season for Barron, for his sake.
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