The Predators Are Already Making a Big Decision on Justin Barron as Things Take a Turn for the Worse
Since the trade between the Montreal Canadiens and the Nashville Predators involving Justin Barron and Alexandre Carrier, there have been notable impacts.
While Carrier is already becoming an important player for the Canadiens, if not a cornerstone of their defense, it's unfortunately a completely different story for Barron.
It hasn't even been two weeks since the trade was finalized between Kent Hughes and Barry Trotz, so it's probably too early to declare a winner, even though former Ottawa Senators GM Pierre Dorion has called the trade a home run for the Habs.
However, it's hard to find any faults in this trade at the moment (from the perspective of the Montreal Canadiens).
The Nashville Predators are already using Justin Barron as an extra and their 7th defenseman
While Carrier is a top-4 defenseman for Martin St-Louis and is playing nearly 20 minutes per game in Montreal (21:10 against Tampa Bay), Barron is off to a disastrous start in Nashville.
He continues to validate the opinions of some experts like Tony Marinaro:
The Justin Barron we've seen so far is a defenseman more suited for Europe than the National Hockey League."
Tony Marinaro
And it seems like this is exactly what the Predators are beginning to realize.
In Nashville, Barron has just been demoted to the role of the 7th defenseman. He's no longer part of their regular top-6 and they're already considering sending him to NHL waivers.
In two games with his new team, Barron has played a total of 13 minutes and 6 minutes, with 0 points and a -3 differential.
The game against the St. Louis Blues was particularly disastrous, as Barron finished with a -3 differential in just 6 minutes of ice time.
It's hard to imagine a worse game for a defenseman.
In any case, we sincerely hope Barron can find his game and become the solid defenseman he has the talent and potential to be.
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