Justin Barron on the ballot: We’re a long way from all that with Alexandre Carrier

Félix Forget
Justin Barron on the ballot: We’re a long way from all that with Alexandre Carrier
Credit: Capture d'écran/Twitter

In December 2024, the Canadiens completed a trade with the Predators. With the Habs' defensive corps struggling, the club sent Justin Barron to Nashville to acquire veteran goaltender Alexandre Carrier.

And as soon as the trade was announced, people wondered what could have possibly prompted the Preds to agree to such a deal.

Since then, Carrier has become a key player in the city. He has solidified the team's defensive corps by serving as a reliable right-handed partner for Martin St-Louis (which Barron was not), and he's playing his role to perfection.

Over in Nashville, things have been a lot tougher for Barron. The defenseman was limited to nine points (and no goals) in 52 games last season, and his play has come under fire in Tennessee.

And clearly, things haven't turned around at training camp: the Predators decided to place him on waivers today. Let's just say the Habs are (pretty) far from considering that with Carrier, you know.

Barron, who turns 25 in November, clearly wasn't able to convince the Preds that he deserves a spot on the big team. And the final nail in his coffin was… William Trudeau.

The Quebec native, who was with the Canadiens' organization until last year, was claimed by the Predators off waivers today. And since Nashville wasn't going to keep nine defensemen, Barron was the one to go.

The Preds could therefore lose Barron without getting anything in return… which is a bit ironic considering that the Rangers, who acquired Trudeau in a trade with the Habs (for Brett Berard), just went through the same thing. Moral of the story: picking up a defenseman from the Habs comes with a dose of risk, hehe.

Barron, a tall right-handed defenseman who's still relatively young, could very well be claimed. He has the profile to attract interest from teams, especially given how rare right-handed defensemen are, after all.

This is especially evident in Montreal, where the team is a bit short on depth on the right side… but we can all agree it would be surprising (though ironic) to see the Habs claim Barron off waivers tomorrow.


In a Nutshell

– It's looking more and more likely.

– Wow.

– What's your prediction?

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