Free washer | Defensive right flank: back to the drawing board

The Canadian’s right flank in defense seemed sealed in the long term, not so long ago.

Montreal obtained a promising 20-year-old defenseman, Justin Barron, in the trade for Artturi Lehkonen in March 2022. Drafted at 25^e rank two years earlier, Barron had 20 points in 43 games in his first professional season in the American League and he had the physique for the job at 6 feet 2 inches and 200 pounds.

Another first round pick, at 31^e rank in 2021, Logan Mailloux, made some fans salivate with a production of 47 points in 72 games in his first season with the Laval Rocket last year. He was even bigger, at 6-foot-3 and 213 pounds, and possessed a blistering shot.

And on June 28, 2023, David Reinbacher, 6 feet 3 inches and 207 pounds, 22 points in 46 games among the pros, in Klöten, Switzerland, would complete the trio by being drafted fifth overall by the Canadian.

But a little more than three years later, Barron’s departure for Nashville on Wednesday evening once again confirms to us how projecting a plan for the future is anything but predictable.

Reinbacher fell in action in a preparatory match, suffering a serious knee injury. He remains, at 20 years old, a defender with enormous potential, and he probably would have played games in Montreal this fall, but he had a difficult season in Kloten last year, although his 11 games in Laval at the end of the season in reassured many.

Some optimists saw in Mailloux the reincarnation of Brent Burns or Evan Bouchard. The young man, however, has significant deficiencies in terms of understanding the game, despite undeniable physical strengths.

Mailloux has ten points in his first five games in the American League this season. But he was not convincing during his brief recall to Montreal, still mediocre in a defensive situation.

Things have also cooled off offensively in Laval with only 3 points in their last 14 games, and a record of -8. He was demoted to the Rocket’s third pair of defensemen recently.

Mailloux will be 22 in April and quite frankly, we don’t see much progression in his game. The cream of his vintage’s defenders, Owen Power, Luke Hughes, Simon Edvinsson, Brandt Clarke, Olen Zellweger and Ryker Evans, are already established in the NHL.

Barron, now 23, has been inconsistent in just under three years in the Canadiens organization. However, he got every chance to establish himself in the NHL. He is a fluid and fast skater and is not devoid of offensive potential.

But his weakness in defensive territory, poor decision-making with and without the puck and his lack of boldness made him a vulnerable defender.

Kent Hughes’ gamble was worth it, however. Lehkonen was a mid-level player in Montreal who, on the eve of his 27th birthday, had not amassed more than 31 points in a season. In a context of reconstruction, the CH was not ready to offer him an annual contract of 4.5 million for five years or more.

In addition to Barron, Montreal got a late second-round pick in 2022 from the Avalanche. That pick was used to move up from 26^e au 21^e rank in 2024 and draft Michael Hage.

The exchange of Justin Barron on Wednesday somewhat corrects the situation on the right flank. Alexandre Carrier, 28 years old in October, is not Kristopher Letang. You might not even notice the 5-foot-11, 175-pound right-handed defenseman much most of the time.

But it will bring the Canadian stability in defense, but also, above all, balance. Before getting injured in early December, Carrier was Roman Josi’s partner in the Predators’ first pair, with 20 minutes of playing time per game. He played with Jeremy Lauzon on the second pair the previous two years.

Despite his small size, Carrier is a defensive specialist, effective on the penalty kill, very reliable, despite a difficult season this year, like most of his teammates in Nashville.

He represents a number four or five defenseman on a Stanley Cup contending team, but he will significantly strengthen the top 4 of the Canadian, one of the weakest in the National League at the moment.

The arrival of Carrier will allow Martin St-Louis to maintain David Savard with Arber Xhekaj in the third pair, where this veteran does a good job of mentoring the young colossus, and gives the Canadian a good duo to face the best opposing trios, if we decide for example to pair Carrier with Kaiden Guhle.

It will also allow the management of the Canadian to give in to temptation if ever a rival organization makes an irresistible offer for Mike Matheson, a year and a half from his full autonomy, without finding himself completely stripped of defense.

Barry Trotz criticized

This trade isn’t very popular in Nashville, where blue-collar workers like Carrier are still popular and part of the organization’s DNA.

Why then have we sold a 28-year-old defender to whom we had just offered a three-year contract? Because Nashville finds itself in the cellar of the rankings when it thought it was in the race for the playoffs.

Predators GM Barry Trotz also frees up payroll, since Carrier will receive 3.75 million this season and the next two, a salary slightly higher than that of David Savard, a defenseman in this same category.

The Canadian is not in a much different situation than Nashville at the moment, other than a lack of short-term depth on the right side in defense. Trotz believes he can fill the void left by Carrier for less with Nick Blankenburg and Adam Wilsby, a left-hander employed on the right, not to mention Barron.

Perhaps also the Predators GM is preparing another trade with this reduction in the team’s payroll.