Former Maple Leafs defenseman has been scratched in anticipation of a trade
Former Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Tyson Barrie has been scratched by the Nashville Predators ahead of their tilt tonight against the New York Rangers in anticipation of a trade.
The 13-year veteran is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season and based on the route that the Predators are taking, Barrie is no longer a viable fit. The Predators have given Barrie permission to talk to other teams to find a better fit elsewhere.
The offensive defenseman was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft by the Colorado Avalanche, where he would spend his first 8 seasons in the big league. He scored 307 points in 484 games before being traded to the Maple Leafs in a package surrounding Nazem Kadri.
He wound up only playing one season in Toronto, where he tallied 39 points in the COVID-interrupted season of 2019-20 before walking into free agency and signing with the Edmonton Oilers. In parts of 3 seasons with the Oilers, his offensive numbers returned back to normal as he tallied 132 points in just 190 games.
He was traded ahead of last year's trade deadline to Nashville in a package deal involving Mattias Ekholm. In just 46 games with his new club, Barrie scored 3 goals and 21 points. This season alone, he has 9 assists in 22 games, while averaging a career-low 18:51 TOI.
Barrie holds a cap hit of $4.5 million and with the Predators in a supposed rebuild, he becomes an intriguing rental piece for any contending team looking for a power play quarterback with the capabilities of reaching 40+ points in a full season, conservatively.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 2 | 446 ANSWERS Former Maple Leafs defenseman has been scratched in anticipation of a trade Will Tyson Barrie be traded before the calendar flips to 2024? | ||
| Yes | 328 | 73.5 % |
| No | 118 | 26.5 % |
| List of polls | ||
