The thing that is good about Barron is that even if his scoring isn't anything noteworthy, he should still do enough other things really well that he can still take a regular third line shift. I like Gauthier, but if his scoring isn't there I'm not sure he does enough other things to stick in the lineup.
Yeah that's sort of my point too.
If Gauthier had managed to score a couple even in his cameo last season I'd feel more comfortable with him, but going 0-fer with a number of good chances makes me doubt his scoring touch at the NHL level. And if that's not there you've got a pretty raw prospect who's a little on the older side--more to learn, less time to do it.
Barron is somebody I could see getting putting up decent numbers in a 3rd line role, maybe PP2. But you're right, not only does he play all forward positions, he's got a better brain than Gaut has shown. He's more reliable on defense, he's better at causing turnovers, and he's better with the puck on his stick in the O-zone. I'm more confident about his floor, and I don't think his cieling is so below Gauthier's that it makes the difference.