My best Guess

There's no reason for Winnipeg to overpay so drastically for a bottom pairing defenseman they can get on waivers if they want.

Overpay so drastically? An AHL player and a 2nd isn't an overpay for Barron. Get him on waivers? When will he go on waivers? Why would Habs management ever let him go on waivers?

Barron is a 22 year old RHD that looks to have a bright future, stop acting like this Joel Edmundson or some other bottom pairing vet. You've been wrong about Habs multiple times before, at some point I would have thought you'd learn to not comment on things you know nothing about

I don't see Montreal players with the want bias you do, I see then as they actually are. He's a bottom pairing (at best) defenseman. As you say maybe even a career AHL'er. He's not returning a bottom 6 forward and a high 2nd. Two teams have given up on Barron now and he can't crack one of the worst defenses on a team with very little depth. He has no value to a good team with excellent defense like Winnipeg. Both pieces on their own have more value than Barron.

Barron needs waivers to be sent down next season as I understand from Montreal fans and what Cap Friendly says, so he'll and up on waivers next season at some point.

Thats just a bad take. Barron will be a regular next year. Kovacevic and Harris/Struble will be traded, Savard too at the deadline. RHD is the highest valued asset in the league and Barron hasnt been perfect but hasnt been bad at all. They've used the fact he wasnt waiver eligible because they have 8 nhl caliber defenseman and need to rotate, but they'll clearly make room this summer. The 3 starting RHDs should be Reinbacher, Barron and Mailloux by the end of next year. I dont think they'll trade him, he's more valuable on the ice than what he can get on the market (which would be more than rasumus "1 assist in 27 games" kupari)

That's cool they should hang onto him, because Winnipeg has no need for him. However a struggling defenseman that isn't good enough to play regularly on a bad team isn't returning a comparable forward AND a high 2nd.

A similar struggling forward, or a late pick would be a fair return.