crazy the revisionist takes floating around here given how well Lekhonen has done in Colorado and the impatience fans have with a top-4 D prospect...
Barron has more NHL games than all but 3 dmen from his draft year, and more points than all but 4 dmen from his draft year... all picked ahead of him (including Guhle, who has 2 fewer games and 1 more point). He's shown more than enough to give confidence he can grow into a solid top-4 dman, if not more.
People seem to ignore/forget that most fans dismissed Lek as not being more than a 30 pt, bottom 6 winger at best... yet act now as if his play with the Avs in a top-6 role is what we gave up on...
they also seem ignorant to the reality that in his D+3 season, Lek had yet to even play an NHL game.
Patience and context are often absent from hot takes.
Barron is a quality asset, our depth at D may make it feasible/reasonable to move him for a quality return, but I'd prefer we see what we have with him over the next 2 seasons. Kid has the tools to be a very good #2-3, no point giving up on that at this point, especially at RD.
In your last paragraph, when we are talking tools, we are strictly talking about offensive tools when it comes to Barron, all surrounded by a soft game with next to no physicality and a poor read/understanding of his defensive assignments around his own net.
The latter two negative traits will usually sour a coach on the idea of giving Barron #2 or #3 D minutes. Net positives are important and a 40-point Barron, assuming all works out, who carries negative net goal differential when he is on the ice at even strength, won't be worth playing all minutes that might be better occupied by Reinbacher, Mailloux, Engstrom or Konyushkov, in the end.
I like Barron's offensive upside, but he seems lack hockey sense in his own zone and his lack of desire together physically involved, despite a larger frame, is more of a personality trait than a lack of skill. Usually, a mean side can't be taught and I have little hope to see that change for Barron.
It's one thing to cater to surrounding a smaller D like Hutson who is an offensive dynamo, to shield him, physically, but that shouldn't be required for Barron. Unfortunately, right now, it is.
I'd rather a more physical RHD like Mailloux, whom I consider to have better offensive tools and better offensive upside than Barron, plus plenty of confidence to use those tools effectively and Reinbacher as a shutdown D with offensive upside ahead of Barron on the depth chart.
Then, we are just a year or two from knowing if Engstrom will be superior to Barron,and three years away from knowing how Konyushkov's game will translate to the NHL?
As a third pairing D (where Barron will shortly fall on the depth chart, as we wait for the arrival both Engstrom and Konyushkov, weight actually be better off with Kovacevic as a steadier defensive contributor who can also add a little offense and physicality?
