Justin Barron traded by Kent Hughes: Martin St-Louis gives him arguments
Justin Barron's name has often come up in trade rumors this summer, and as long as he doesn't impress Martin St-Louis and Kent Hughes, this will unfortunately remain the case.
After two full seasons in the organization, we still don't know what Justin Barron's role will be with the team, and he struggles to stand out.
When asked about his play, the head coach of the Canadiens agreed to comment and, true to his habits, he spoke the truth. Of course, he did so in a constructive tone, saying there is room for improvement, but on the other hand, it gives Kent Hughes reasons to trade him.
Indeed, Justin Barron is very good with the puck. He makes good passes, has a solid hockey IQ, and a good skating ability, but it's the rest of his game that is more challenging.
The coach even mentioned that if he plays 20 minutes, he will have the puck maybe one minute at most. He needs to make himself useful and stand out without the puck as well, whether through physical play, blocking shots, etc.
To me, this says it all. When a team has so much depth on defense and everyone is able to stand out in some aspect of their game, it becomes very difficult for a player like Justin Barron to distinguish himself.
In a less deep team, he could have a very nice career, but unfortunately, he doesn't seem to fit in Montreal, in my humble opinion.
Lane Hutson excels with the puck and creates turnovers without it, Logan Mailloux brings a physical dimension while also excelling with the puck, Jayden Struble adds a robust physical presence and is very tough to play against in his zone, Arber Xhekaj is even more physical, blocking shots and dropping the gloves, all while being very good with the puck as well, and the list goes on.
Justin Barron needs to find a way to stand out against this, and I commend him for not giving up, even though what he lacks isn't really something that can be taught.
| POLL | ||
Do you think Justin Barron can still stand out and convince Martin St-Louis and Kent Hughes despite the competition on the Canadiens? | ||
| Yes | 131 | 52.2 % |
| No | 120 | 47.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
