The Nashville Predators appear to be a club to watch over the next several weeks, even though the Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames have received the majority of interest on the NHL trade market. The Predators are looking to move on from defenseman Tyson Barrie and have allowed him to pursue a trade.
When discussing Barrie on his most recent Headlines during Hockey Night in Canada, hockey guru Elliotte Friedman said the following:
Barrie, 32, is owed $4.5 million since he is a potential unrestricted free agency. Barrie has nine assists in 22 games this season with the Predators, but he has not scored any goals. The right-handed defenseman divided last season’s action between Nashville and the Edmonton Oilers, finishing with 55 points in 75 games.
With an 11-12-0 record after 23 games, the Predators aren’t predicted to be a team that will challenge for a Stanley Cup Playoff spot this year. Although they were able to bring in some veterans in Luke Schenn and Ryan O’Reilly, the management is still willing to make any kind of transaction and has no interest in re-signing Barrie.Barrie and his agency are able to assist in negotiations with interested parties because of this.
Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff recently revealed an intriguing tale about how Barrie learned that he was traded from Edmonton to Nashville during the previous season. Frank also discussed this event in a recent chat with our colleagues at Oilers Nation:
This time, Barrie won’t be taken aback by the news, and given how difficult it is to find right-handed defensemen in the NHL, there will likely be several bidders.
The Maple Leafs won’t be back twice.
Brad Treliving has taken over as the team’s new general manager, but Barrie may not be the addition Brad Treliving is hoping to make to his blue line. Barrie has only managed six hits this season and is hardly a muscular presence. That would be dead last on the Leafs among guys who have skated in at least ten games this season, just for comparison’s sake.
Although Barrie had 39 points in 70 games during his unsatisfactory tenure in Toronto, his play was highly variable, and the Leafs may not necessarily need more of his kind of play right now. For certain members of Leafs Nation, hearing Barrie’s name might be upsetting. Several supporters have expressed their discontent with the trade of Nazem Kadri, who was obviously acquired by the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Alex Kerfoot and Barrie.
Potential destinations for Barrie include the Los Angeles Kings and Dallas Stars, two playoff-bound clubs in need of additional offensive production from their back end.
However, it appears that a trade is imminent, meaning that Barrie’s time in Smashville may be limited. The procedure usually moves more quickly when numerous people are attempting to close a purchase over the phone. No matter how quickly Barrie leaves, Treliving and the Maple Leafs are unlikely to agree to a second stint in Toronto. Let’s celebrate Barrie’s fact that the transfer won’t come as a shock this time.
