The Edmonton Oilers have made a lot of changes this offseason to the surprise of Oilers fans, and skepticism is heading into the new campaign. They lost Vincent Desharnais, Warren Foegele, and Sam Carrick in free agency as they all joined new teams. At the same time, they traded away Cody Ceci, Ryan McLeod, Xavier Bourgault, Jake Chiasson, and Tyler Tullio. With lots of players leaving, they made sure to try and replace them, especially after losing Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg to offer sheets from the St. Louis Blues. They went out and acquired Vasily Podkolzin from the Vancouver Canucks, and Ty Emberson from the San Jose Sharks who both could make an impact at the NHL level immediately. On top of that, they bolstered their prospect pool acquiring Matthew Savoie from the Buffalo Sabres as well as Roby Jarventie from the Ottawa Senators.
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With all the moves made this offseason, fans questioned the Oilers’ depth on the right side of the blue line after moving Ceci. However, those worries should be put to rest with Emberson coming in from the Sharks, who should be able to prove he is a strong shutdown defender who can play on the second pairing. The third pairing is where worries are justified, as it’s up in the air who gets the final roster spot. Josh Brown was signed to a three-year deal out of free agency and is expected to be penciled into the lineup heading into training camp, but there is another option available to the Oilers who would be a slight upgrade, and he is a familiar face.
Tyson Barrie was often criticized during his first stint as an Oiler due to his defensive inconsistency. His offensive production more than made up for it before Evan Bouchard broke out and became the clear number-one defender, but Barrie was on the outside looking in before he was ultimately traded to the Nashville Predators. Unfortunately for Barrie, the Predators were not a great fit for him as he was often a healthy scratch and they chose not to re-sign him, despite their defensive depth concerns. If the Oilers are looking for someone who could encourage internal competition and be a seventh defender for the 2024-25 season, Barrie seems like a good fit.
Barrie Wouldn’t Have Same Role as Previous Stint With Oilers
As mentioned, the last time Barrie was an Oiler, he was seen as the go-to offensive producer on the blue line and was viewed as the ideal candidate for the man advantage. However, after a tough stint with the Predators following the trade for Mattias Ekholm, Barrie slowly slipped into a depth role with no fit anywhere in the NHL due to his lack of defensive stability. With the Oilers now, he would be nothing more than a veteran addition who doesn’t play every night but boosts morale off the ice. His comfortability with the Oilers’ organization gives me some confidence that he could bounce back and put up 20-25 points, but he has a tough road to earning a roster spot this season.
At the end of the day, Barrie still has some hockey left in him. He may no longer be the star he was during his time with the Colorado Avalanche, or the offensive producer he was just a few seasons ago, but he has something to prove. The Oilers bringing in Barrie would be a smart move for many reasons including adding depth and boosting off-ice morale but most importantly, a player who wants to prove he still has something left in the tank and will play like he has nothing to lose, which could lead to a much more improved defensive core this season. With Paul Coffey at the helm handling the defensive side of coaching as well, Barrie joining the Oilers could rejuvenate his career.
