Reporter reveals that the Montreal Canadiens surplus of young talent on defense could lead to a major trade

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Tyler Ball
September 21, 2024 (5:05 PM)

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In a new clip going viral, a Montreal sports journalist named Mathias Brunet revealed that he believes defenseman Justin Barron's time with the Canadiens could be limited.

The Montreal Canadiens have been in a rebuild over the past several seasons. As a result of their rebuild, the Canadiens have built up an impressive young core highlighted by players like Juraj Slafkovsky, David Reinbacher, Lane Hutson, and Logan Mailloux to name a few.

With such immense talent particularly on defense, there is starting to become limited spots to fight for on the NHL roster not only this year but beyond. A new report from Canadiens journalist Mathias Brunet and host of the Processus podcast suggested that defenseman Justin Barron could be the sacrifice made to fit in other young players.

I think we might try to trade Barron. It will depend, but I believe Barron still has some value. I don't think they will let him go for a second-round pick because there are always injuries, and you want depth, and there isn't much depth or experience on the right side.

I think the Canadiens believe that someone might bite for a late first-round pick. Last year, we thought we could get a late first-round pick for Barron.

Look at what Dallas paid for Nils Lundkvist, a late first-round pick, while Lundkvist was behind Barron.

With the immense amount of talent on the Montreal Canadiens blueline for years to come one of them will likely have to go. Justin Barron not only has the expendability for the Canadiens but qualities that other teams could covet as well.

Justin Barron could be the perfect trade piece for the Montreal Canadiens

Many fans and media around the NHL are expecting the Montreal Canadiens to be in the playoff push this upcoming season. If they are going to be a playoff contender the team will likely need to add more veteran leadership and experience to this extremely young lineup.

Using Justin Barron, who is still just a 22-year-old defenseman who is right-handed, could easily land a high-impact veteran. On top of his youth and handedness, Justin Barron had a successful season in 2023-24, tallying 13 points in 48 NHL games. The former first-round pick in 2020 still has plenty of development left ahead of him and could be a hidden gem for a team in need of youth on their blueline.

As the season starts to ramp up, if the Montreal Canadiens get off to a good start, the rumors surrounding Justin Barron could begin to get even hotter. If he makes the opening night roster and is able to show the consistency that has been lacking in prior years then Justin Barron might be able to fight off the up-and-coming stars for one more season.