Chris MacFarland has spent much of his first offseason in Nashville surrounding himself with familiar faces, whether that’s acquiring former Colorado Avalanche players or adding personnel from his old organization. Earlier this week, he continued that trend by bringing back another player with Avalanche ties.
The Nashville Predators re-signed defenseman Justin Barron to a one-year, $1.575 million contract, giving the former Colorado first-round pick another opportunity to establish himself on Nashville’s blue line.
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The 24-year-old Barron was a restricted free agent after appearing in 52 games for the Predators last season, recording nine assists while averaging 14:15 of ice time. He also finished with 60 blocked shots after being acquired from the Montreal Canadiens in December 2024 in exchange for defenseman Alexandre Carrier.
“Justin Barron is a 24-year-old, right-handed defenseman who we feel still has growth in his game,” Predators President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Chris MacFarland said in a team release. “He can skate and has a lot of physical tools. We’re looking forward to seeing him at our training camp in September.”
For Avalanche fans, Barron’s name is forever linked to one of the biggest trades in franchise history.
Colorado selected the defenseman with the 25th overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, and he spent most of the next two seasons developing with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles, where he recorded six goals and 18 assists in 50 games. He also made two NHL appearances before being included, along with a 2024 second-round pick, in the March 2022 trade that brought Artturi Lehkonen to Denver.
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That deal became one of the defining moves of Colorado’s Stanley Cup run. Lehkonen scored the overtime winner that completed the Avalanche’s sweep of the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference Final before netting the Cup-clinching goal in Game 6 against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Barron eventually found his footing in Montreal, posting consecutive double-digit point seasons in 2022-23 and 2023-24 despite playing fewer than 50 games in each campaign. His production slowed to one point in 17 games to begin the 2024-25 season before he was traded to Nashville, where he rebounded with 12 points in 45 contests after the deal.
Defensive consistency has remained the biggest question mark throughout Barron’s NHL career. Across 208 games with the Avalanche, Canadiens and Predators, he has recorded 18 goals and 34 assists for 52 points but has yet to finish a season with a positive plus-minus rating, posting a career minus-27.
His underlying numbers paint a mixed picture. Barron ranked third among Predators defensemen with 60 blocked shots last season and led the group in blocked shots per 60 minutes (4.86). He also finished third among Nashville blueliners in hits. On the other hand, his four takeaways were the fewest on the team.
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The one-year contract gives Barron another chance to carve out a larger role in Nashville while providing MacFarland with additional depth on the right side entering the 2026-27 season.
Barron has appeared in 208 regular-season NHL games but has yet to make his Stanley Cup Playoff debut. He is also the younger brother of Winnipeg Jets forward Morgan Barron.
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