Two Former Canadiens D-Men Find New Teams

There’s a funny thing about hockey careers. Sometimes you leave one organization thinking you’re headed somewhere new, only to find yourself somewhere completely different a few weeks or months later.

That’s what happened to two former Montreal Canadiens defensemen this week. The St. Louis Blues claimed Justin Barron off waivers, while the Nashville Predators claimed William Trudeau. Neither move is likely to make huge headlines around the NHL, but both are worth noticing if you’ve been following the Canadiens’ organization for a while.

Justin Barron Gets Another Opportunity.

Barron was placed on waivers by Nashville and now gets a fresh start in St. Louis. The 24-year-old defenseman played 52 games for the Predators last season, recording nine assists and a minus-1 rating. Canadiens fans will remember Barron from his four seasons in Montreal. He played 109 games for the Habs between 2021-22 and 2024-25, scoring 13 goals and 31 points. It never quite came together consistently enough for him to become a regular part of Montreal's long-term plans.

Now he gets another chance. That’s really what waivers are all about. A player gets squeezed out of one organization, and suddenly another team decides there might still be something there. Barron is young enough that St. Louis doesn't have to be asking if he’s already reached his ceiling. There’s still time to see what he can become.

Related: Why Kreider Might Be Perfect with Suzuki and Caufield

William Trudeau Takes a Different Route.

Trudeau’s story is a little different. Montreal traded him to the New York Rangers this summer in exchange for forward Brett Berard. Nashville has now claimed Trudeau after the Rangers put him on waivers. The interesting part is that Trudeau has yet to play an NHL game. Montreal selected him in the fourth round in 2021, and he spent four seasons with the Laval Rocket.

And he wasn't exactly sitting around doing nothing. In 260 AHL games, Trudeau recorded 28 goals, 62 assists and 90 points, along with 236 penalty minutes and a plus-19 rating.

Pulling It Together for the Canadiens.

Two former Canadiens defensemen are moving on, but their stories aren't finished. Barron is getting another NHL chance in St. Louis. Trudeau is still trying to get his first one in Nashville. For Montreal, meanwhile, this is another reminder of how quickly prospects and young players can move through an organization.

Sometimes a player leaves because the Canadiens don't see a fit. Sometimes another team sees something worth taking a chance on. And sometimes, as these two cases show, the hockey road has a few more turns before anybody knows where it ends.

Related: What Will the Canadiens Do with Arber Xhekaj Long-Term?