The Toronto Maple Leafs would like to make a deep run into the playoffs this season, but they haven’t been playing well lately. Their recent loss to the Ottawa Senators was overshadowed by an incident between Ridly Greig and Morgan Reilly, but losing out on two points to a team that has been struggling in a big way should sound some alarms. The Maple Leafs sit tied for the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with the Detroit Red Wings with a four-point cushion on the New York Islanders with 56 points. While the Maple Leafs have a strong lineup with one month left until the trade deadline, it would be surprising if they didn’t try to pursue some upgrades on their blue line.
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While they have some options heading into the deadline, one player who will surely be traded this season is Nashville Predators’ defender Tyson Barrie. Back in December, the Predators permitted Barrie to speak with other teams in hopes of facilitating a trade. He spent one season with the Maple Leafs for his 2019-20 campaign where he scored five goals and added 34 assists for 39 points through 70 games. While he could be an upgrade on the right side of the blue line for the Maple Leafs overall, his defensive game isn’t great and a trade would be quite complex.
As seen in the above model, Barrie has an extremely positive impact on the offensive side of the game, but his defensive game needs some improvement. His stat line proves how much of an impact he has offensively and he could be a valuable bottom-pairing or seventh defender at the right price. He doesn’t play better than Timothy Liljegren, Jake McCabe, or William Lagesson on the defensive side of the game but he could provide some veteran stability and some internal competition which could elevate the play of everyone in the lineup, as well as give the Maple Leafs the chance to run 11 forwards and seven defencemen should they choose to do so.
Who Is Tyson Barrie & What Would It Take To Bring Him In?
Barrie is a 32-year-old defender from Victoria, British Columbia who stands 5-foot-11, 196 pounds, and was drafted in the third round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft by the Colorado Avalanche at 64th overall. He made a name for himself playing in the Western Hockey League (WHL) with the Kelowna Rockets where during his draft year, scored 12 goals and added 40 assists for 52 points through 68 games. He…
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