Justin Barron has turned a waiver claim into one of the clearest bright spots on the St. Louis Blues’ blue line this season.
The Blues were forced to patch things together early after injuries to Logan Mailloux and Tyler Tucker. That opened the door for internal call-ups Adam Jiricek and Theo Lindstein, but Barron has become the real story. Since arriving, he has looked comfortable everywhere the coaching staff has put him, even lining up with Philip Broberg on the top pair.
In 11 games with St. Louis, the 25-year-old right-handed defenseman has produced two goals and six assists for eight points.
What makes Barron especially interesting is where he fits in the bigger picture. He sits in the same age range as Mailloux, Broberg, Jiricek and Lindstein, giving the Blues a group that could grow into a competitive defensive unit down the road. Colton Parayko and Cam Fowler are still around, but the article notes that Father Time is beginning to show signs.
Barron is carrying a $1.75 million cap hit for the rest of this season, and he becomes a restricted free agent in the offseason. If this start keeps up, he could be a candidate for a bridge deal with St. Louis - something like two years at $2.5 million AAV.
The tricky part comes when Mailloux is ready to return. Barron has earned his place, but the Blues are expected to want a look at Mailloux once he is fully healthy. The idea of Broberg and Mailloux as the top pair has to be tested, and if Broberg keeps playing the way he has, No. 23 would be the one moved out.
Mailloux has already been sent to Springfield for conditioning, which is the first step back. St. Louis will need him ready when he gets the call, because the organization wants him to become a true first-pair defenseman.
That leaves Barron in a difficult spot. He has done enough to stay, but once Mailloux is back, it is not clear whether Jiricek is the one who gets sent down instead.
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For the Blues, the move offers a chance to get Mailloux back into game action and gauge where he stands after a long layoff. It also adds another layer to a trade that brought him to St. Louis from Montreal, with the organization still waiting to see how soon he can be ready to help on the blue line again. [Read more 🡒]
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The offensive side is following along, too. Buchnevich has found the net in two of the Blues' last five games, and he has done it while moving across multiple line combinations, a sign that his game is settling in no matter where he lines up. For a team still sorting out its best mix, that kind of versatility is making it harder to view him as anything but an important part of the picture. [Read more 🡒]