Right now we have Guhle Savard and Barron as our top three RD.It's not about writing off Barron but horse-trading to get a better player in a position of need.
Habs fans are too obsessed with the poverty mentality from the Bergevin era. We have too many d-men and too few forwards, it's perfectly find to trade a non-contributor to get a roster upgrade. If Barron does good elsewhere that's fine -- good for him and his new team -- but it's not like his ceiling is specifically and indisputably higher than our other defensive players who are ahead of him on our depth chart.
We know Savard isn't going anywhere until TDL and hasn't been a great pairing with Matheson.
We also know none of our kids are ready to take on Guhle's RD minutes.
Barron needs to establish himself as a solid mobile bottom pairing D.
From what I saw towards the end of last season he can do it.
He started using his frame in Laval and was very effective moving the puck quickly.
Kovacevic getting dumped tells me Barron isn't or at least the plan isn't to dump him.
He'll get his minutes this year and they may hang on to him next season as well.
There is no doubt in my mind he'll be a better 7 than Kovacevic was.