Investigating Tyson Barrie

The Colorado Avalanche are one of two NHL teams clearly out of the playoff race and firmly into ‘seller territory’ as we approach the annual trading deadline. The Avs have had a wildly disappointing season, to put it lightly, and the team is looking like the early 2010’s Oiler teams in terms of roster build. A lot of skill, but not enough of literally everything else.

It should come as no surprise that Colorado GM Joe Sakic is looking at all options to fix the mess in Denver right now. What that means is a plethora of talented players are going to be available for trade, players that could really help the Edmonton Oilers.

Brian Hedger, a Chicago based hockey writer, tweeted the following out earlier this afternoon regarding Colorado and their situation.

Heard #Avs are open for business for all but MacKinnon. Landeskog & Duchene apparently available, but both have very high pricetags. #NHL

— Brian Hedger (@BrianHedger) January 13, 2017

It’s no surprise the MacKinnon is not for sale, he’s the team’s best player and his potential is through the roof. To me, MacKinnon is a franchise cornerstone and should be built around, not moved.

I’ve long been a fan of both Duchene and Landeskog, in fact I wrote about the Oilers looking at them earlier this season. That said, it appears the price is very high for both and I’m not sure Edmonton has the pieces to get this done right now.

In order to get either of them, it would appear likely that Oscar Klefbom would have to go the other way. To be completely honest, I’m not sure if I’m ready to make a move like that, especially with the Oiler defense finally having a good season.

I simply don’t see a way for Edmonton to get either Duchene or Landeskog, which brings me to the next tier down. Yes, players like Jarome Iginla, Rene Bourque and Francois Beauchemin will be available, but the Oilers would be better served to look a step below Landeskog and Duchene.

They should be looking at Tyson Barrie.

The Situation:

The Edmonton defense has been much better this season, and is a big reason why the team is in the thick of the playoff race as we head into the second half. That said, Edmonton is still lacking an offensive option and a weapon on the powerplay from the blueline. Todd McLellan has publicly admitted as much.

Tyson Barrie would scratch that itch in a big way. We’re talking about a mobile, offensive defender who has a huge point shot and is a right-shot defender. On top of that, the powerplay is this man’s specialty. It really is a strong fit in every possible way.

Barrie is having a down season by his standards, only registering 3-18-21 in 40 games. He’s also a -22 on the year, which highlights the issues on the backend for the club. It also appears the club is growing tired of Barrie, but that’s totally a guess on my part.

The reason I guess that? We’ve heard how everyone is available but that the highest prices belong to Duchene and Landeskog. No where in these rumors has Tyson Barrie’s name popped up. It almost seems like it’s a gimme that he is available. Strange, if you ask me.

Lastly, his contract carries a cap hit of $5.5 million per through the conclusion of the 2020-21 season.

Possible Price:

It seems like Colorado is looking to rebuild with high draft picks and prospects in return for their established players. I’d assume that Edmonton’s first round pick, either this season’s or next year’s, would be part of any package bringing Barrie to Edmonton.

I’m not quite ready to give up first round picks just yet, but I’d be willing to make an exception if it brought a young player with term back. Barrie is that kind of player.

In terms of prospects, Edmonton doesn’t really have much to offer up. Would Brandon Davidson, a growing expansion concern, be appealing to Colorado? I would have to think he would be. He’s a young and affordable defender who can play in the NHL right away.

There were also rumblings over the summer of the Avalanche being interested in Ryan Nugent-Hopkins in a possible Tyson Barrie trade. Nuge, more so than Barrie, has had a down year and his trade value can’t be too high at this point, which makes me wonder if the interest is still there.

Could Edmonton acquire Tyson Barrie for Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and a prospect, say Brandon Davidson? What about a first round pick, Davidson and another piece, say an NHL ready player like Anton Slepyshev?

I’m not sure either package gets the deal done, but it would be a solid starting point in terms of negotiations. Regardless, the Oilers should be looking at Tyson Barrie now that Colorado is looking to blow things up in Denver.