-3 in 7 minutes: it’s tough for Justin Barron in Nashville

It’s been 10 days since the Canadiens sent Justin Barron to Nashville. In return, Montreal acquired Alexandre Carrier, a right-handed defenseman who was supposed to (ideally) solidify the Montreal defense core.

Because clearly, things weren’t working out for Barron in Montreal.

That said, while Carrier is making the fans happy in Montreal, it’s a whole different story in Nashville.

After spending 13 minutes on the ice in his first game in town, Barron was playing as the seventh defenseman for his team yesterday…

And in just seven minutes of ice time, he managed to end his work night at -3.

(Credit: Screenshot/ESPN)

And clearly, people are starting to get a bit tired of the young defenseman’s performances, as at practice today, Barron was a healthy scratch.

So we can think he will be left out on Monday. It didn’t take long.

Meanwhile, in Montreal, Carrier is exactly what the Canadiens hoped to get. Without being a spectacular player, he greatly stabilizes his team’s defense core, playing big minutes and being effective when he’s on the ice. And most importantly, he helps his team win games.

(Credit: Screenshot/ESPN)
I understand that the Preds wanted to get rid of Carrier’s contract ($3.75 million per year for this season and the next two), and the sample is still small. That being said, after only 10 days, I wonder if the Predators feel like they’ve been taken for a ride.

They bet on Barron’s potential, of course… but if they leave him out after just two games, that’s not a great vote of confidence.

We’ll see if things change, but for now, the Canadiens have no reason to regret their trade. For the Preds, it’s probably a different story.

In Brief
– Not bad, the kid.

James Hagens today:

— 2 assists
— 1 shot
— up to 6 points in 2 games

2nd in the WJC in points and he’s draft eligible. pic.twitter.com/ix5z9PeLUF

— Big Head Hockey (@BigHeadHcky) December 28, 2024

– Oops.

Steven Lorentz’s helmet got caught in the glass during warmups. Max Domi finally frees it. pic.twitter.com/Pujom1xW3K

— luke fox (@lukefoxjukebox) December 28, 2024

– The loss for the Rocket.

Final score
Final score pic.twitter.com/91OmPhbwvF