"When he heard about the trade, Crosby said, 'I never would have done that if I were the Avalanche. This kid here, he's a really good hockey player. He's ready to play in the NHL and he's going to be a good player,'" Letang recounted.
He really praised him to me," the veteran Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman continued. I don't know if it's because they skated together in Halifax in the summer! (laughs) It's not often that Sid says things like that about a player. When he said that to me, I thought it must be true!
According to Crosby, Barron has the makings of an NHL star.
"In his opinion, Barron has a very good first pass, great vision, skates well and can play well offensively and defensively. He said he will eventually play 20-22 minutes a game," Letang reported.
"You can't predict the future, but that's the impression Sid got after watching Barron play. He thinks the Avalanche should have kept him and that he shouldn't have been the one traded."