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Trade season has been unusually active during the first half of the 2024-25 NHL season. With the NHL's holiday roster freeze on the horizon, the recent activity is not a surprise. On Wednesday, the New York Rangers traded Kaapo Kakko to the Seattle Kraken after his controversial benching. Now, the Montreal Canadiens and Nashville Predators are getting in on the action with their latest move involving Alexandre Carrier.
The Canadiens have acquired Carrier in a trade with the Predators, the teams announced. Carrier, a Quebec native, returns home after spending his entire career in Nashville to this point. In exchange, the Predators received defenseman Justin Barron from Montreal.
The Canadiens and Predators are both in a position to shake up their teams. Montreal is seventh in the Atlantic Division with a 12-16-3 record. Meanwhile, the Predators are dead last in the NHL with a record of 9-17-6. Nashville is the only team in the league with fewer than 10 wins to this point in the year.
How Alexandre Carrier trade works for the Canadiens, Predators
Alexandre Carrier signed a contract extension with the Predators back on July 1. However, he has struggled at times when he has been on the ice. At the time of this trade, the veteran defender is injured with an upper-body injury, though this trade may indicate that he is close to returning.
Carrier has hit his stride over the last few seasons. He is a physical presence in the top four who can play effective defense and block shots. His offensive game is nothing special. In any event, he can still chip in some offense when needed.
In return for Carrier, the Predators take a flier on 23-year-old Justin Barron. Barron formed a group of young Canadiens defensemen who saw ice time at the NHL level. The former first-round pick had seemingly fallen out of favor, though. His ice time dropped from 18 and a half minutes last season to a little less than 15 minutes a game this year.
Barron has some upside, however. With a new situation in Nashville, he could find his game. If the Predators further shake up their roster, Barron could find himself playing a larger role with his new team.
The Canadiens and Predators are looking for a spark this year. As a result, they swapped two defensemen who could benefit from a change of scenery. How these players perform over the rest of the season could have a big impact on how Montreal and Nashville conclude the year.
