The Colorado Avalanche had an interesting opportunity at the 2020 NHL Draft. The Avs held the 25th overall pick. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t exactly the sort of spot where you would normally pick a high-end prospect.
After the Philadelphia Flyers picked Tyson Foerster at #23 and the Calgary Flames got Connor Zary at #24, the Avalanche took defenseman Justin Barron at #25. Barron looked like a decent pick. He hardly looked like the next Cale Makar, but could have been good enough to become a solid NHL blueliner.
The Avalanche took Barron and proceeded to trade him after just two games in the Artturi Lehkonen deal.
Now, Avs fans will say, “Who cares about Barron? Lehkonen was a crucial piece that got us a Cup.”
And that’s a totally fair point. However, the player taken after Barron at #26 was Jake Neighbours, going to the St. Louis Blues.
Imagine how different the Avalanche’s lineup would have looked with Neighbours in the top six? The 24-year-old has scored 20+ goals twice, managing to score just 15 this past season due to missing several games with injury.
Neighbours has put up those numbers on a considerably less talented team in St. Louis. Now, imagine what he could have done playing alongside Nathan MacKinnon?
Yes, the Avs might have never acquired Lehkonen if they didn’t have Barron. But it’s tantalizing to think what Colorado might look like with such a talented young forward.
Avalanche came out all right in the end
Ultimately, the Avalanche turned a third-pairing defenseman into a top-line winger. You could say it was a case of being in the right place at the right time. When the Canadiens traded Lehkonen, they were looking to get out from under his contract. At the time, the Habs were rebuilding and didn’t want to pay to keep Lehkonen.
So, off to Colorado he went.
Barron subsequently left Montreal. The Canadiens moved him to Nashville for Alexandre Carrier. He’s actually found a home with the Predators. He’s played 97 games, racking up 21 points there. Barron won’t likely unseat Roman Josi in Nashville anytime soon, but bear in mind he’s just 24. Defensemen take a little bit longer to develop, so there might still be a bit of a higher ceiling for Barron down the line.
The idea of having potentially drafted Neighbours instead of Barron, however, is something that may end up going down in Avalanche history as one of those things that just happen.
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