Travis Barron – The Next Ones: NHL 2016 Draft Prospect Profile

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Travis Barron

2015-16 Team: Ottawa 67’s (#19)

Date of birth: August 17th, 1998

Place of birth: Brampton, ON

Ht: 6’1″  Wt: 187 lbs

Shoots: Left

Position: Left Wing

NHL Draft Eligibility: 2016 1st year eligible

Twitter: @TBarron89

THW The Next Ones Ranking (February): Unranked

Other Rankings

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Travis Barron’s promising midget career and lofty OHL Draft status hasn’t led to a high-scoring OHL tenure, as he has posted just 50 points over two seasons. However, he has consistently shown the two-way game that got him taken 3rd overall in the 2014 OHL Draft. After a decent rookie season with the Travis Konecny-led Ottawa 67’s (12 goals), Barron has failed to take a big step forward this year as a top line forward following Konecny’s move to Sarnia. Barron has still yet to show the offensive potential he flashed in midget hockey, but his jack-of-all-trades style makes him a strong candidate to move up the ranks quickly.

The cousin of 2014 3rd-round NHL Draft pick Cole Cassels, Barron plays a similar style to the player that shut down Connor McDavid in the OHL Playoffs last season. He works hard on both ends of the rink and can excel in either a shutdown, grinding-type role or a top-six scoring role. Offensively, he is an above-average skater whose vision and playmaking abilities could use some work. His shot, however, is a weapon at both even strength and on the power play.

Barron is an all-situations type of player, one who can excel on top penalty killing or power play units. After playing centre in midget, Barron has transitioned to a wing position in Ottawa, where his strong defensive play makes him a great asset. While he isn’t the type of player that can carry an offense by himself, Barron has soft hands and a fantastic shot that allow him to play in a top-six role. While only slightly above average in size (187 pounds), Barron isn’t afraid to throw his weight around and use his body to protect pucks down low.

While the physical play and two-way game are certainly there, it’s certainly a little disappointing to see Barron’s production not take off like many anticipated. However, the potential for more is definitely there, and if Barron can show more flashes of high-end potential down the stretch and into the playoffs, it might be enough for a team to take a chance on him before the end of the third round.

NHL Draft Projection:

Barron’s unspectacular offensive production will probably drop him past the top two rounds. However, his all-around game, strong character, and leadership history should be enticing enough for a team to take a chance on his talent turning into offensive production somewhere in the third to fifth rounds. However, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a team that loves the complete package Barron offers pick him in the middle to late second round.

Quotables:

Travis possesses good size yet he is shifty and elusive with the puck. He has a great shot and is smart down low with the puck. With his puck skills, Travis also shows a high compete level and is willing to play physical.

Hockeyprospect.com

Another name to watch for early in the draft, Barron is a skilled forward who has that stickhandle-in-a-phone-booth thing going for him. At 6-foot-1, 180 pounds, he’s already got decent size and can play physical, too.

Ryan Kennedy, The Hockey News

Barron has some high expectations on him this season. The third overall pick in the 2014 OHL draft had 21 points as a rookie, which put him 13th among 16 year olds in the OHL…. If he can spend the whole season on the top power play with Konecny, he should put up a ton of points. Barron has a ridiculous shot. He scored a one-time goal in this game that was a blur. His skating from what I saw was just average.

Paul Berthelot, The Sports Daily

 

Statistics:

Strengths:

  • Projectable frame and size
  • Aggressive on the forecheck
  • Shot
  • Puckhandling ability
  • Can play in all situations
  • Leadership history/strong character

Under Construction (Improvements to Make):

  • Strength
  • Top-end speed
  • Offensive consistency
  • Playmaking ability

NHL Potential: 

Barron could be a valuable top-9 forward in the NHL, the type whose all-around game and offensive skills allow him to slide up and down the lineup.

NHL Player(s) Comparison – Gabriel Landeskog

Risk-Reward Analysis:  

Risk = 1.5/5   Reward = 3.5/5

Fantasy Hockey Potential:

Offensive = 7/10   Defensive = 7/10

Awards/Achievments

  • 2013-2014 OHL Cup Silver Medal
  • 2013-2014 GTMMHL Kraft Cup Champion

Interview/Profile Links:

Interview with Ottawa67s.com

Post-game interview from Feb 9, 2016

Video(s):

Shots From the Slot (Interesting Notes):

Barron was the captain of the league champion Toronto Jr. Canadiens in the 2013-2014 GTMMHL season, despite playing with 2014 first overall OHL Draft selection Jakob Chychrun.

THW’s The Next Ones prospect profile template design architect: Chris Ralph