Justin Barron posed in a different dressing room from Place Bell on the eve of the opening of the Canadian season. He dreamed of the NHL, not the American League.

After a first workout at Rocket Camp, Barron wasn’t a happy man.

“Obviously I’m disappointed,” said the 2020 Colorado Avalanche first-round pick. “I know I’m going to have a lot to do here. I liked the reaction from players and coaches to the rocket. I’ll try to keep the positive.”

Barron didn’t survive the last wave of established players. On Monday morning he made his way to Laval with defender Otto Leskinen, goalkeeper Cayden Primeau and strikers Rafaël Harvey-Pinard and Jesse Ylönen.

Jean-François Houle didn’t flinch when he was reminded that his 20-year-old defender had morale in his heels.

“That’s normal,” he replied. I expected that he would be disappointed. First, I’ll give him time and air. I want him to think a little. But I’ll go and talk to him tomorrow or the day after to find out how he’s feeling. I won’t leave him in his corner. I think we have to give him the time to be a marabout, but he also has to understand that he has to get up quickly.

“The NHL is a mountain to climb,” the Rocket head coach continued. He just had big feelings. We just pushed him back out of his dream a bit. It’s a shock. He feels like someone is hitting him on the head. Justin will realize that this is just the beginning and not the end of the world.”

A bigger role

In practice with the rocket, Barron formed a duo with Leskinen. Houle will be banking heavily on this duo, as will Corey Schueneman and Madison Bowey.

“Justin knows that a return to Laval can be good for his development,” said Houle. He will play a bigger role in the Rocket. In Montreal he could have found himself in the stands. He has to see it as an opportunity to improve. He’ll play on special teams, he’ll be able to act as a leader, and he’ll have more time in practice since we play fewer games in the AHL.

Barron retained a fairly simple message from his meetings with Jeff Gorton, Kent Hughes and Martin St-Louis.

“They told me I’m going back to Rocket and they want to see me work on my defensive play,” he said. There is a big transition between the American League and the NHL. I still need kilometers.”

At camp, CH favored youngsters Kaiden Guhle, Jordan Harris and Arber Xhekaj to open the season. Hughes also acquired 25-year-old right-handed defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic from the Winnipeg Jets on waivers.

A matter of numbers

If Justin Barron had the baboune, Rafaël Harvey-Pinard remained the same ball of energy despite a return with Rocket.

“I’m staying close to my goal,” said the 23-year-old winger. The line between the NHL and the American League remains narrow. I stay at the limit, I don’t have to take a big step. But I will have to force the hand of management to cross that line.

“Pro hockey is not always stable. It’s not a bad thing to be in the American League. I can’t be angry or disappointed. I can just roll up my sleeves and work twice as hard. I’ve always had that mentality in life.”

There’s no place for Harvey-Pinard in Montreal in the short term, but that could always change quickly.

“He’s an intelligent young man, he knows how to count and he knew it would be very difficult for him to win a position,” Houle recalled. But even if he counts well, he also lives a disappointment. Looking at it from the outside, one can think that the youngster should guess. However, the youngster had the right to dream and want to take it to the next level. Harvey-Pinard knocks on the door, he’s close by. There is no room for him today. He’s smart enough to know he’s around and he’ll make it.”

With 14 players on guaranteed NHL contracts and the presence of youngsters Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky, Harvey-Pinard will need patience before he is recalled. However, the Arvida winger has very different DNA to several of the big club’s attackers, which could help his cause.