Justin Barron ahead of Michael Hage and Logan Mailloux in the eyes of Corey Pronman

This morning, I mentioned Corey Pronman’s rankings. The Athletic’s prospect expert ranked the league’s youth groups and came to the conclusion that the Habs are sixth in his rankings.

The Blackhawks, Sharks, Ducks, Blue Jackets and Senators, big NHL powers(or not), are ahead of the Habs in the rankings. Remember that the top four clubs drafted ahead of the Habs in 2023 and 2024.

But what stood out for me in Pronman’s text was how high he ranked Justin Barron.

Montreal Canadiens rank No. 6 in NHL Pipeline Rankings for 2024, via @coreypronman https://t.co/nSQwuravgm

– Arpon Basu (@ArponBasu) August 29, 2024

Juraj Slafkovsky, Ivan Demidov, Kaiden Guhle, David Reinbacher and Lane Hutson are in the top-5, but Barron is ranked #6. This puts him ahead of the likes of Michael Hage (7), Logan Mailloux (8), Jacob Fowler (11) and Joshua Roy (14).

I repeat: he’s just behind Hutson, who is seen as a potential Calder candidate.

Button: Underestimate Lane Hutson At Your Peril | The Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro August 28 2024 https://t.co/yZyWX0uFXK

– The Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro (@thesickpodcasts) August 29, 2024

For many, Barron is the Habs’ #7 defenseman who will make the club because of his waivers eligibility. But in Pronman’s eyes, he ticks a lot of boxes that will allow him to do something good.

Which is? A long career in the NHL.

He ticks a lot of boxes, which leads me to believe that he will have a long career in the NHL. – Corey Pronman

He’s not a power-play threat, but his skills can bring secondary offensive production to a club. His shot – from the right – and his skate are good.

The analyst also likes the way he retrieves pucks in transition.

Of course, you have to keep in mind that a youngster’s development is never linear. Maybe 2-24-2025 will be the year he moves on to the next level – and not just for 15 games, as was the case in 2023-2024.

He’ll have to work for his playing time, but it’ll be up to him to impress the Habs. Stay tuned.