Major trade between the Habs and Avalanche last year: An unexpected turnaround thanks to Justin Barron

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MarcO
February 20, 2023 (9:24)

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With the arrival of Kent Hughes as GM of the Montreal Canadiens, we have seen a breath of fresh air with the team.

With only a few weeks of experience, he has made several profitable transactions for the Tricolore, which has allowed the team to accumulate draft picks and quality prospects.

One of his notable trades was Artturi Lehkonen, who was dealt late in the trade deadline day. Lehkonen was sent to Colorado and in return, the CH got defenseman Justin Barron and a second round pick.

While many are rightly talking about the NHL debuts of rookie defensemen Kaiden Guhle, Jordan Harris and Arber Xhekaj, few are talking about young Justin Barron. The latter has been doing very well lately and deserves a little more attention.

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Barron had an ordinary training camp at the beginning of the year, which earned him a demotion to Laval. He took advantage of his time with Jean-François Houle's team to regain his confidence and improve certain aspects of his game, mainly in the defensive zone.

Due to his progress and because of several injuries with the Habs, he received a recall to the big club on December 27th.

Since his return, the number 52 never ceases to amaze with his consistency and offensive skills. Slowly, we see him getting comfortable on the ice. This allows him to contribute to the offense and to orchestrate several excellent rebounds from the defensive zone.

In 19 games this season, the 2021 first round pick has two goals and six points, with an average of almost 16 minutes per game.

He was named first star of the January 17 game with two points.

Despite the CH's 5-2 loss on Saturday night, Barron once again impressed with his efficient play, and The Athletic's Scott Wheeler even noted it on social media. Wheeler said the young man, who often goes under the radar, could become a great 4th or 5th defenseman in the league.

"Really impressed with Justin Barron tonight. I know he got caught up in the numbers game with all the rookie D in Montreal this year, but he's going to be a solid #4-5."

While the Halifax native's rather sub-par start to the season drew a lot of criticism, with many even stating that Hughes had already lost the Lehkonen trade just a few months after the trade, his recent performances will surely make some people swallow their words.

Barron's progression is steady and he is proving that he has the caliber to play in the NHL. Let's not forget that he is only 21 years old. He has a very long career ahead of him with the Habs. Some people seem to forget that he is playing his rookie season in the NHL, just two years after graduating from the QMJHL.

"People were already writing off the Barron trade as an L for the Canadiens earlier this year, but as you can see, it often takes a while before you can look back on a deal.

Barron will be solid for us for many years."

Let's give him time to develop, he'll be an impact on the CH defensive squad for many years to come. In my opinion, he definitely has the potential to play in the top-4 of the defensive brigade and potentially score around 30 points per season.

A little bonus for you, here is Barron's performance in this Sunday's CH skills competition. He managed to hit all 4 targets in 4 shots, in only 9.603 seconds. Only Rafaël Harvey-Pinard was able to beat him!

Credit: HabsetLNH.com

Previously on HockeyLatest

Pictures of Arber Xhekaj surface and confirm many things

Disappointing statement on the exchange market: It's worse than we thought

We now know if Jonathan Toews will be traded: His fate is now sealed

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20 FEVRIER \| 8 ANSWERS Major trade between the Habs and Avalanche last year: An unexpected turnaround thanks to Justin Barron Do you think the Habs made a good deal with Artturi Lehkonen?
Yes	1	12.5 %
No	7	87.5 %
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