Confirmed Trade: [MTL/NSH] Alexandre Carrier for Justin Barron

[Frank Drebin]

Why are avalanche trolls talking about lehkonen in a nashville-Montreal trade?

You got a top 6 player for a former first rounder that didn’t work out, and a second that Montreal was able to hopefully put to good use

Congrats and gtfo

 

[JianYang]

The revisionist history in this thread is hilarious.

It seems like a lot of people only started watching Lehkonen after he was traded to the AVS. While he was always good defensively, his offence certainly wasn't what you see now. He was a 3rd line defensive winger in Montreal.

Many also seem to think the full trade was Lehkonen for Barron straight-up. While I understand the 2nd rounder wasn't the exact pick used to select Hage, it was a major part of it. Does Hage count as part of this trade, or does that not fit the narrative people are trying to create?

I remember that year lehkonen was dealt. It was a year where there were very few bright spots as everyone was either not developing or were having down seasons.

Lehkonen was an exception. He looked like he was taking a step that season from an offensive standpoint (actually, I would argue that he showed it in his rookie season too), and he hasn't really looked back. I could totally see why a team like Colorado would go for him at the time.

He's a versatile player with a great motor.

 

[HabsQC]

So why is everyone talking about Lehkonen ?

Carrier is killing it so far. Barron won't be missed.

 

[malcb33]

I remember that year lehkonen was dealt. It was a year where there were very few bright spots as everyone was either not developing or were having down seasons.

Lehkonen was an exception. He looked like he was taking a step that season from an offensive standpoint (actually, I would argue that he showed it in his rookie season too), and he hasn't really looked back. I could totally see why a team like Colorado would go for him at the time.

He's a versatile player with a great motor.

His first season was his best; at that point, he looked like he would be a core part of the team. However, in the next few seasons, he didn't produce and looked like he'd plateaued as a 3rd line winger IMO.

My original point was that he wasn't producing at his current level in Montreal, which the revisionists seem to think, and therefore tilts the trade.

I've always liked the guy and am happy that he's succeeding in Colorado.

 

[JianYang]

His first season was his best; at that point, he looked like he would be a core part of the team. However, in the next few seasons, he didn't produce and looked like he'd plateaued as a 3rd line winger IMO.

My original point was that he wasn't producing at his current level in Montreal, which the revisionists seem to think, and therefore tilts the trade.

I've always liked the guy and am happy that he's succeeding in Colorado.

It was becoming a running joke because lehkonen would miss so many chances prior to that final season. Of course, the Colorado environment was always going to be more conducive to putting up more points.

I'm sure the Habs would have held on to him if they were in a different stage of their competitive cycle, but they got a magic bean for him which just didn't sprout in time. They have a list of other young dmen that need time and investment and barron didn't show enough to warrant keeping him as part of that group.

That doesn't mean it's the end for barron, but it had to be the end for his time in Montreal.

 

[TheNumber4]

Why are avalanche trolls talking about lehkonen in a nashville-Montreal trade?

You got a top 6 player for a former first rounder that didn’t work out, and a second that Montreal was able to hopefully put to good use

Congrats and gtfo

Like and agreed.

But also, the Habs paraded Petry around for years and years.

I guess the only classy fanbase are the Oil. We don’t bring up Kulak. Even though he’s been a complete beast for us at a bargain price.

 

[Michel Beauchamp]

I guess the only classy fanbase are the Oil. We don’t bring up Kulak. Even though he’s been a complete beast for us at a bargain price.

I'll take Hutson.

Thanks...

 

[TheNumber4]

I'll take Hutson.

Thanks...

Lol well good on Montreal for drafting well. But it was a late 2nd for a defenceman that has been a perfect fit for the oilers and their playoff needs. Guess it was a win-win, based on the burgeoning draft pick.

 

[Michel Beauchamp]

Lol well good on Montreal for drafting well. But it was a late 2nd for a defenceman that has been a perfect fit for the oilers and their playoff needs. Guess it was a win-win, based on the burgeoning draft pick.

More like a very big win versus a small win...

 

[JustAHabFan]

More like a very big win versus a small win...

It's not a big win. It's a massive win.

 

[TheNumber4]

More like a very big win versus a small win...

That’s a lot to say about a rookie who you don’t even know can be more than a Tyson Barrie at this point. Let’s see if he can handle the defence required of a contending team.

And Kulak is more than a very small win. Traded as a 3rd pair but can and has played top pair and 2nd pair every time we needed him to through long seasons and long playoff runs. Has never let us down doing it.

 

[Michel Beauchamp]

It's not a big win. It's a massive win.

I'm trying to be nice...

That's who I am.

And Kulak is more than a very small win.

I did not say "very small win".

 

[TheNumber4]

I'm trying to be nice...

That's who I am.


I did not say "very small win".

Lol okay fair enough.

 

[JadedRandom]

I'm trying to be nice...

That's who I am.


I did not say "very small win".

Come on now, no need to be that type of poster.

Let bygones be bygones and just enjoy the fact that our current GM seems to be making more good moves than bad.

 

[Michel Beauchamp]

Come on now, no need to be that type of poster.

Let bygones be bygones and just enjoy the fact that our current GM seems to be making more good moves than bad.

Have you recently lost your sense of humor ?

 

[JadedRandom]

Have you recently lost your sense of humor ?

Maybe, but mostly I'm just tired of all the useless drama and flaming that happens on here.

My username checks out if you wish to see it that way.

 

[Michel Beauchamp]

Maybe, but mostly I'm just tired of all the useless drama and flaming that happens on here.

My username checks out if you wish to see it that way.

I'm 75 and I've never lost mine...

 

[Jurivan Demidovsky]

Carrier >>> Barron

 

[viceroy]

So for all the people Trade-tree-ing this, it ended up being:

-Monahan
-Lehkonen

for

-Hage
-Carrier

 

[John Mandalorian]

So for all the people Trade-tree-ing this, it ended up being:

-Monahan
-Lehkonen

for

-Hage
-Carrier

Yeah. But the Lehkonen part that got Hage was from his elbow to his wrist. The rest was another pick.

 

[wedge]

Barron didn't develop as much as expected, that's it. I liked the trade at the time and I can't say today it was a bad one. Lehkonen would never has been as good if he had stayed with the habs.

Carrier is going to be great for us. You can't play with four defensemen under 24.

 

[JadedRandom]

So for all the people Trade-tree-ing this, it ended up being:

-Monahan
-Lehkonen

for

-Hage
-Carrier

+ CGY/FLA 2025 1st on the Monahan to Winnipeg deal.

Overall I'd say that given circumstances (salary cap hell for a team that was horrible at the time Hughes had to make the Lehkonen trade) Hughes did pretty well.

I say that, but I am still a believer in Barron's potential and have been vocal in defending him for the last year or two. 23 is very young for a defenseman still, and Barron's tools could lead to him becoming a much better defenseman for another team if they manage to work with him on shoring-up his defensive issues and Barron gains the confidence to play more aggressively.

On the other end of the spectrum, Carrier is looking solid overall so far. Barring injury woes, I think Carrier should be a good bottom-pairing veteran for the remainder of his contract (on a team which rignt now doesn't care that he is maybe overpaid) while young defensemen like Reinbacher, Engstrom, and Mailloux push to solidy a spot for themselves.

I say that, but the Carrier trade also can't be viewed on its own; It is IMO a precursor/facilitator to a Savard trade later down the stretch. Maybe even a Matheson trade if the cards align and the rumor-mongers like Seravalli actually have legit sources on this front.

Oh, and for context's sake, the one game Savard went down and had to sit-out, the Canadiens had to dress Barron and 5 lefties (Hutson, Guhle, Matheson, Xhekaj, and Struble), which led to one of the most uninspiring defensive performances I have seen from the Canadiens in the last couple of decades I have watched the sport.

Turns out, exactly none of the many LDs the Canadiens have on the main roster play nearly as well on the right as they do on the left.

Suffice to say, that situation was made worse by the fact that the one RD we did have on the main roster, Barron, isn't reliable at all defensively at this point of his career and so we couldn't play him in higher-leverage situations without him getting exposed.

And that lack of solid RD options was further compounded for the team given the devastating injury Reinbacher sustained in preseason, and the unfortunate "stalling" of Mailloux's game in the AHL this season. We had warm bodies that could play RD in a pinch, but we majorly lacked NHL-proven RD depth and our management likely didn't want to interrupt Mailloux as he was going through some growing pains in Laval.

So a trade had to be made to acquire a veteran that could stay with the team for multiple years to stabilize the position in the short term and also allow the team room to trade Savard and not crater completely defensively when they would potentially revert back to 5LDs and 1RD.

All of which to say that this is one example of a trade that really can't be evaluated in isolation but must in fact be viewed in the general context of the Canadiens at large.