The Nashville Predators are giving the Justin Barron experiment one more go, re-signing him to a one-year, $1.575 million contract.
The 24-year-old right-handed defenseman was qualified as a restricted free agent by the Predators earlier this month. His signing came two days after fellow RFA Mavrik Bourque, forward, signed a six-year, $33 million extension with the team. Barron played 52 games with Nashville last season, recording nine assists with a -1 rating.
"Justin Barron is a 24-year-old, right-handed defenseman who we feel still has growth in his game,” Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager Chris MacFarland said in a press release. “He can skate and has a lot of physical tools. We’re looking forward to seeing him at our training camp in September.
Barron was acquired in December 2024 from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for defenseman Alexandre Carrier. Since then, the Predators have desperately tried to replicate that same success they once had, but without fruition.
Barron at the numbers
Prior to being dealt to Nashville, Barron posted back-to-back seasons (2022-23, 2023-24) with double-digit points, with both occurring in less than 50 games. Following his emergence on the blueline, his stats took a dip as he would only score a singular point in 17 games with the Canadiens in the 2024-25 season. After the trade, he played 45 games with the Predators, scoring 12 points.
A struggle that remained consistent was defense. One of the main reasons for his mid-season departure was his noticeable defensive flaws. On paper, Barron has never recorded a single season with a positive plus/minus rating. Since his first NHL stint with his draft team, the Colorado Avalanche, the 2020 first-round pick accumulated a -27 rating. He posted a career worse -14 rating in his first season with the Predators, demonstrating the gamble they are taking with him on the ice every night.
Using advanced stats provided by MoneyPuck, we can look into the issue even further. Considering he isn't exactly the most ideal offense generator, having an 8.3-career-shooting percentage, you'd think he'd make up for it with strong defense. Unfortunately, that just isn't the case.
He had the third-lowest blocked shots among Predators defenseman last season with 60. He also had the lowest takeaways among all his teammates with only four on the season. For reference, Ryan Ufko, who played 34 less games than Barron, had three takeaways. He rarely started plays or touched the puck for that matter.
It would be an unfair piece if I didn't touch on the positives, or at least the counterargument. Barron can be a valuable piece if he's used correctly. Among team defenders, he was third in hits with 37. The margin between third and second is pretty big, with Brady Skjei sitting in second at 70. While he was third-last in blocked shots, he was first in blocked shots per 60 minutes of play with 4.86, 1.08 ahead of second.
I don't like the extension, but I also don't hate it. Barron's return gives them somebody to shove into the lineup on rotation. He also acts as a trade piece later down the line. It's better to retain him and get something in return, rather than letting him walk into free agency. Plus, there's also the hope that he plays better and, in turn, increasing his trade value.
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