Justin Barron Eager For A Return To Montreal

As frustration builds after back-to-back losses over the weekend put the Laval Rocket at a lowly 3-8-3 to begin the 2022-23 season, second-year defenseman Justin Barron and his Rocket teammates look to regroup after a sour end to their road three-game weekend road trip.

"It's just a little bit of early season adversity. We have to keep learning and just stick with it," Barron told InsideAHLHockey.com after Sunday's loss at Hershey.

Barron, who turned 21 years old on Tuesday, might also be facing a little bit of personal adversity early in his pro career in addition to his team's early-season struggles.

After beginning his adjustment to pro hockey last season with the Colorado Avalanche's AHL affiliate, Colorado Eagles, Barron found himself included in a trade that sent him from the Avalanche organization to the Montreal Canadiens.

Barron finished the 2021-22 season in the NHL with Montreal following the trade, putting up a goal and an assist in five games with the Canadiens down the stretch last year.

Despite spending his time with the Canadiens organization at the NHL level last year, off-season acquisitions by Montreal that included re-signing defenseman Chris Wideman and adding defensemen Michael Matheson (trade) and Jonathan Kovacevic (waivers claim) made making the NHL roster out of training camp this fall more competitive.

Ultimately, Barron missed the cut and was beat out by fellow youngsters Kaidan Guhle, Jordan Harris and Arber Xhekaj - being assigned to Laval prior to the start of the AHL season.

It was a slow-go for Barron with Laval to begin the season -  a similar theme amongst his teammates and cause for the team's overall slow start - as he was held without a point in his first five games with the Rocket.

Since then, he's been among the team's top performer on a regular basis according to Rocket head coach Jean-Francois Houle - as if the seven points (three goals, four assists) in his last nine games aren't also an indicator of Barron's confidence level rising.

"You know, he's been playing really well for us. He's been playing some big minutes," Houle said of Barron, adding, "His defending needs to be better, I think, to get to the NHL, but he's worked on it. He's been really good."

The first thing that jumps out about Barron's game when you watch him play is his smooth skating and confidence carrying the puck up ice on breakouts. There's no doubt his offensive abilities and instincts showcase flashes of that of an NHL puck-moving blueliner, but as his coach alluded to it's Barron's play away from the puck that needs more polishing to round out his overall game.

When asked what the messaging from Montreal was when he was sent down to Laval, Barron told InsideAHLHockey.com, "Just the aspect of being able to play lots of minutes, kind of get to play in all those situations. And yeah,  just keep improving my skills. You know, especially defensively, playing with a little bit more of an edge is something I know I need to work on. But yeah, that's kind of been my focus."

Barron is hoping to build off of some things he learned in his rookie season in the AHL with the Colorado Eagles that his former head coach Greg Cronin instilled into his game.

"Yeah [Cronin] taught me a lot. You know, he's definitely an intense coach. But, you know, I enjoyed my time with him," Barron said of playing under Cronin in Colorado last season. "He was really big on me playing hard in the D-zone and kind of letting that offense come. But yeah, that was a big thing for me last year, obviously, it was my first year of pro. It's definitely a big jump from junior. So it was a lot of defensive gap control, stick positioning, technique and stuff in the corner."

So far, it seems like Barron is taking that approach and working on his play away from the puck. He knows his overall defensive game needs to improve if he wants to get back to the NHL and be an impact player at the next level.

"And, you know, just to put all that together and be consistent," Houle explained. "For him, it's consistency. For a lot of guys that come down to American Hockey League, they need to be consistent in order to make it to the NHL."

In addition to being consistent, Houle also mentioned being patient.

"Yeah, you have to be patient," Houle said of not rushing Barron back to the NHL and allowing him to work on his game in an AHL setting with top minutes and a lot more responsibility. "You have to get your game to a good, consistent level. And you know, you gotta wait. He'll get a call up here when somebody gets injured. You just have to be patient."

As is the case with every young player in the AHL, Barron's eyes are on the prize. He, of course, wants to get back to the NHL as soon as possible.

"Yeah, I mean, hopefully," Barron said of getting back up to Montreal this season. "Obviously, that's the goal. Yeah, just trying to, you know, keep getting better and improve my game. And hopefully be the next guy up."