The St. Louis Blues claimed Justin Barron off waivers from the Nashville Predators right before the season started, in an attempt to quickly patch up their defense core after Logan Mailloux was injured with a hand injury. Many viewed Barron as a valuable young seventh defenseman to add depth to the defense core, given the injuries to Mailloux and Tyler Tucker. Barron would provide another right-handed defenseman who could plug and play if needed, while also giving Head Coach Jim Montgomery the flexibility to mix and match players if the team needed a quick spark or change.
Barron has quickly become a mainstay in the lineup after young defenseman Theo Lindstein was healthy-scratched after the Blues' first three games of the season. Barron has been in the lineup ever since, with Lindstein returning only when the Blues dressed seven defensemen against the Nashville Predators on Saturday. The Blues have built depth in their defense core, and with several key players on the verge of returning from injury, the team will face tough roster decisions. Barron could find himself a casualty of a numbers game despite playing relatively well in his limited starts.
Waiver claim versus first-round pick
The one thing working against Barron is the time and capital the Blues have invested in the other defenseman. Even though Barron was a first-round pick, the Blues didn't select him, but they did select Lindstein with one of their three first-round picks in the 2023 NHL Draft. At just 21 years old, the investment in him is high, and his development is presumably a higher organizational priority than a waiver claim from three weeks ago. Working in Barron's favor, shows that waiver claims can work well in St. Louis. The most recent example is Jonathan Berggren, who was claimed off waivers from the Detroit Red Wings, made the roster, and got a top-six role this year. The increased playing time over Lindstein is encouraging for Barron's chances of staying on the roster. However, unless a trade involving Lindstein is on the horizon, the Blues' easier long-term asset-management choice would be to let Barron go, hope he sneaks back through waivers, and continue developing Lindstein for the future.
The same can be said for Mailloux. Although only a year younger than Barron, unlike Lindstein, who was almost four years younger, the Blues traded away a talented young winger, Zachary Bolduc, and identified Mailloux as a valuable piece of their future core as a right-handed defenseman with upside. Before the injury, Mailloux was expected to be a top-pairing player for the Blues alongside Philip Broberg. With the news that he's returning to skate when cleared, he'll presumably return to the top pair, kicking Barron out of the lineup.
The Adam Jiricek effect
The other wrinkle in the roster management situation the Blues have put themselves into is how comfortable Adam Jiricek has looked in his first eight NHL games. Jiricek had a strong training camp and offseason with the Blues but didn't make the roster initially. The team wanted to prioritize his development, and with Mailloux slotted in as Jiricek's expected long-term home on the top pair, the Blues sent him down. However, when Mailloux was placed on injured reserve, the team immediately recalled Jiricek and has given him some runway on the top pair alongside Broberg. To nobody's surprise, Jiricek has looked comfortable and confident since making his debut, potentially shifting the organization's plans for this season and beyond.
With Jiricek playing at a high enough level to warrant an everyday spot, that takes away a potential spot for Barron when Mailloux returns from injury. The Blues believe Jiricek has superstar-level potential, and they invested a first-round pick in the player just two drafts ago; if push came to shove, Jiricek's development and long-term outlook will be chosen as a priority over Barron. Whether it is fair or not, given his mostly steady play, Barron being a waiver claim works against him; the front office and coaching staff have less invested in him, and while not by much, he is older than those he is competing against for a roster spot. The Blues will have a handful of decisions to make as more of their planned opening-night roster gets healthy, with Barron playing steadily in Mailloux's absence; the decision might not be as cut and dry as the team originally anticipated.
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