Justin Barron scored again for the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday night, and this time his second-period goal helped finish off a 3-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings. The 25-year-old, wearing No. 72, is giving the Blues offense from the blue line far more quickly than most expected when he arrived.
That goal was not a fluke in a small sample. Barron has three goals and seven assists for 10 points in 15 games with the Blues, which works out to a 54-point season pace if that rate holds over a full schedule. For a right-handed shot who can fire the puck from distance, that kind of output is exactly why the Blues have kept paying attention to him.
His numbers matter because they are coming in a role that is still taking shape. With Logan Mailloux returning, Barron moved to the left side, then spent more than 14 minutes alongside Colton Parayko. The pair posted an 83.2% XGoals% together, a strong sign that the fit is working even as the lineup around him keeps shifting.
The idea that Barron could grow into a long-term piece also runs through the way the Blues view him against Justin Faulk. Both are right-handed defensemen who can shoot and create offense, and Barron has inherited Faulk's No. 72 after being acquired from the waiver wire. Faulk played seven seasons in St. Louis, so the comparison is not casual. It points to what the Blues think Barron might become if the production keeps coming.
Barron said the fit has felt good, and the results back that up so far. The harder question now is not whether he can help the Blues in the moment. It is whether he can keep this pace while moving around the lineup and keep proving he belongs in a bigger role for St. Louis.
