On the recent 32 Thoughts podcast with Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas, there wasn't much Montreal Canadiens talk. The duo focused on the Ottawa Senators' recent struggles, the Eastern Conference playoff race, and the Boston Bruins' coaching staff. However, in discussing the playoff race, Friedman did make some interesting comments about the recent acquisition of Alexandre Carrier.
"I had someone say to me that there's going to be a bunch of teams in this league that are going to regret they didn't make the deal with Nashville for Carrier that Montreal did." Friedman stated. "This guy was honest, he said his own team was probably one of the teams kicking themselves for that one. He said that's a trade when you take a look at what Montreal had to pay and the effect the player has had on the Canadiens since he has been there, there are a few teams kicking themselves for not making that deal."
Carrier instantly impacted the Canadiens, recording five assists in nine games. He isn't known for his offense, and the more significant effect he had has been on their defensive structure. However, it's encouraging that he also chipped in plenty at the offensive end. The Canadiens struggled when Carrier entered the fold, but they have won seven of nine games since he arrived. If the Canadiens can continue winning at this clip with the new right-shot piece in their lineup, there will be even more regret from the rest of the league.
The biggest positive for the Canadiens is they've found a partner for Kaiden Guhle. Guhle figures to be a massive piece in the Habs' efforts to go from a rebuilding team to a contender, but they had struggled to find him a guy to play with. With Carrier's contract at a reasonable rate until the end of the 2026-27 season, the Canadiens needn't worry about Guhle until then.
Justin Barron hasn't been as good for Nashville since the trade. The Predators have won just three of six games, and Barron has no points with a -3 rating.
I don't want to overreact to 4+ games, but... Justin Barron is tough to watch. Just from a decision making point of view, he is all over the place.
— Alex Daugherty (@AlexDaugherty1) January 5, 2025
I'm hopeful that Barron figures it out and has a successful career, but it's not a good sign that the beat reporters are beginning to turn on him this early. If Carrier continues to succeed, it'll be another L for Nashville this season on a list that's becoming too long for Barry Trotz's liking.