Justin Barron had a disastrous match last night, and it’s difficult to hide the fact that his failure became that of Kent Hughes.
It’s simple. Barron plays with the puck like it’s a hot potato. For a defender once perceived as a leading hope, the current situation can only be described as nightmarish for the CH CEO.
Barron is going through extremely difficult times within the Montreal Canadiens organization, and doubts about his future are stronger than ever.
The contrast between initial expectations and the reality on the ice sends shivers down the spine.
Barron just can’t play defense. The other teams understood it.
Not sturdy for a penny, never positioned as he should be, Barron is a public danger when he is in his territory.
Kent Hughes, who thought he made a great trade by sending Artturi Lehkonen to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Barron and a second-round pick, must be banging his head on the walls today.
He knows what a big mistake that decision was.
While Lehkonen has become a key player for the Avalanche (injured, his absence is hurting Colorado so much at the moment), Barron is struggling to carve out a real place in Montreal.
The only reason he wasn’t sent to Laval was because he had to go through waivers. His inconsistent performances, especially at the defensive level, are increasingly difficult to justify.
Last night, Barron made more mistakes, accumulating turnovers and showing glaring weaknesses in his defensive coverage.
He played hesitantly, providing neither the stability nor the impact expected for an NHL defenseman. This game added to a series of disappointing performances that only confirmed what many are beginning to think: Justin Barron does not have the level to establish himself as a regular defenseman in the NHL.
Barron’s failure is not just that of a player, but also that of Kent Hughes, who was robbed by Colorado.
Today, Barron’s market value is plummeting, and the comparisons to Lehkonen are increasingly merciless.
Colorado would never have won the Stanley Cup in 2022 without Lehkonen. Hughes was handed a “lemon” by the Avalanche.
The criticism doesn’t just come from supporters and journalists. We can see that Barron’s teammates are fed up with his erratic play.
The negative comments come from his own bench, where other players are often seen berating him for his mistakes.
Jordan Harris did a much better job on the right of the 3rd pair, even if it was not his natural side.
Harris may have had no identity, but at least he didn’t make mistakes. Barron is not only stagnating. He is regressing…
For Kent Hughes, the moment of truth is approaching. He will most likely have to seek redemption by trading the defenseman he himself obtained.
But the reality is cruel: Justin Barron will never have the value of Artturi Lehkonen, and there is absolutely no way Hughes could get a player of similar caliber in exchange for Barron.
The worst part is that the general manager didn’t even have the pressure to trade Lehkonen since he was becoming a restricted free agent.
A monumental blunder on the part of Hughes, who now finds himself in an embarrassing situation, where he will have to accept the failure of this transaction and find a way to limit the damage.
It is becoming more and more obvious that Barron’s future in Montreal is in jeopardy.
Fans have lost hope, and it seems inevitable that Hughes has also lost hope that Barron will become the defender he thought he would be.
The CEO of CH will never forgive himself.
Related News :