CONFIRMED DEAL: The Boston Bruins have acquired two of the top seasoned centers,  in the franchise’s history and the Canadiens have officially said farewell to them. However…

The Montreal Canadiens are in a five-game slump and heading to the bottom of the standings. They are in a perfect position to be major sellers at the NHL trade deadline and gain prospects or draft picks to help with their future. General manager (GM) Kent Hughes already traded a significant piece when he moved Sean Monahan to the Winnipeg Jets for a first-round pick and the

rumours are flying about other Montreal veterans like Jake Allen and David Savard. Allen, of course, could be moved, but Savard is a question mark. Although these two players will be the focus of a lot of talk, other younger players could be getting attention from GMs around the league. Here is a look at who those players might be.

Canadiens Could Move Barron at Deadline

Justin Barron was acquired from the Colorado Avalanche in the Arrturi Lehkonen trade in 2021-22. The puck-moving right-handed defenceman has a lot of offensive upside and has played well at the American Hockey League (AHL) level. With 47 points in 90 AHL games, the young defenceman, if

appropriately developed, could be a steady top-four option on any team. The issue Montreal is having is turning his success at the AHL level into consistent success at the NHL level. He has a good shot and can move the puck quickly between zones, but he has a lot of issues in the defensive zone playing the defence side of the game. You could argue he doesn’t need to be excellent on his end if he is successful in the offensive zone, but at the NHL level, he isn’t finding enough consistency in his offence to maintain an NHL spot.

Last season, Barron was a late call-up due to multiple injuries and used that time to shine, playing 39 games and scoring 15 points with four goals. This season, it was hoped he would be a shoo-in for the right side, and although he started with the Canadiens, his inconsistent play forced management to send him to the Laval Rocket to work on his game. The upside to Barron is that he is only 22, has high potential to be a solid offensive defenceman, and could

simply take a little more time to develop. Teams may want to acquire him based on these factors, especially if they have the time to let him develop or can pair him with more experienced defencemen at the NHL level. With Logan Mailloux and David Reinbacher expected to be a huge part of Montreal’s future, there may not be any room for Barron very soon.