BARKER: THE PRICE IS RIGHT

Considered the "greatest game show of all time" by TV Guide, the Price Is Right’s current format has been around since 1972. I’m not certain, but I’m pretty confident Steve Tambellini was a fan of the show, because, really, how could he not be, and while he likely didn’t have any "Beauties" in his office when he told Cam Barker to Come on Down last Friday, I like that he took a chance on the former 3rd overall pick.

Of the five new faces Tambellini added on Friday, Barker is the biggest wildcard, but he also has the potential to be the biggest impact player long-term out of the five. Eric Belanger is 33, a proven faceoff guy and penalty killer, but his game won’t improve in Edmonton. You know what you are getting and that’s fine. Ben Eager is a robust, energy guy who is good for seven or eight goals in a full season. Darcy Hordichuk and Andy Sutton are veteran guys, who know their role and will help protect the younger players, but when this team is a contender they won’t be around.

Barker turned 25 on April 4th and signed here after Minnesota bought him out. Being traded is one thing, but when a team buys you out, that’s a real blow to your ego, a huge wakeup call and it has become a source of motivation for Barker.

"You better believe that (prove people wrong) has been on my mind since the season ended. My motivation isn’t going anywhere. It doesn’t stop at the end of the summer; it’s going to go through all next year. That is what drives me right now and that’s why I’m so excited to get the season started," said Barker.

Barker sounded like a motivated man when we spoke, and it was clear he realizes how he is perceived in the hockey world right now.

"Not only do I want to prove to Edmonton that I want to be there longterm, I want to prove to everybody that I can be the type of player I was three years ago. I’m still young, I had an extremely tough year last year and I’m really looking forward to proving a lot of people wrong, and prove to the management in Edmonton that I can be that player again."

In 2008/2009 Barker had a breakout year scoring six goals and 40 points. Teammates Duncan Keith had 44, while Brian Campbell had 52, but Barker was exceptional on the PP tallying 29 points; which was 6th in the NHL amongst D-men.

Some wondered if he was becoming an elite scoring defenseman. It didn’t happen.

That summer the Hawks didn’t qualify Barker in time, and they ended up having to sign him to a three-year extension for $9.25 million to avoid losing him to unrestricted free agency. Barker hit it rich sooner than he or the Hawks expected and he didn’t handle it well.

The next year he struggled. Barker couldn’t live up to the pressure of the big contract and found himself playing only 13 minutes a night after playing over 18 the previous year. The Hawks had loads of depth on the backend with Campbell, Keith, Brent Seabrook and Niklas Hjarlmarsson so Barker was traded to the Wild for Kim Johnsson and the Wild’s 2009 first round pick, Nick Leddy.

At the time Wild GM, Chuck Fletcher was pretty excited about Barker’s potential.

"I’ll be honest, confidence was an issue last year for me, I also had a couple injuries and it is amazing how quickly things can turn from bad to worse. I didn’t play up to my potential, and it seemed like whatever I tried didn’t work. I think I can share some of my experiences with the young guys here and let them know how easily things can go sideways. I learned a lot last year and I’m excited to get into camp, prove I can be that player I was and grow with all the young guys in Edmonton."

 

When Barker potted 29 PP points in 2009, the Hawks’ PP was 12th at 19.3%. He factored in on 41.4% of their 70 man advantages goals that year. Only Patrick Kane was in on more than Barker that year, so it is fair to say he was an integral part of their man advantage.

The Oilers scored a measly 44 goals on the PP last year, and they were 27th in the league with a 14.3% efficiency rating. Clearly they could use Barker skills, and Tambellini is hoping he can find his powerplay groove again. 

What position does Barker like to play on the powerplay?

"It doesn’t really matter," said Barker. "A good powerplay doesn’t really have set spots all the time. When you look at teams that have solid powerplays you see that guys are constantly moving around. A strong PP has many different looks and I feel comfortable playing either point. When I look at the talent Edmonton has I think it is only a matter of time before we develop a solid powerplay."

Looking at Barker’s stats it is fair to say he’s only had one good season, and if you look at his advanced statistics the report isn’t great either, but I think it is too early to just write Barker off. Lots of players struggle early in their careers, even after they have one solid season, and then suddenly they find some consistency.

Barker was the 3rd overall pick in 2004, and while he hasn’t lived up to that ranking thus far, I think the risk is worth the potential reward. I don’t see any negative in signing Barker.

If he finds his game, helps the PP and becomes a decent 2nd pairing D-man the Oilers will be thrilled, and he will be an RFA in the summer. If he doesn’t pan out, the Oilers can walk away at the end of year and not be saddled with an underachiever.

For those who think Barker will stunt the growth of Jeff Petry, I politely disagree. If Petry is good enough to play they will find him a spot. I think Barker allows the Oilers to protect Petry more than hinder him. They don’t have to rush him, and if he goes back to the AHL and plays 25-30 minutes a night then he’ll be even better next season. Petry was -12 in only 35 games last year, so it wasn’t like he was dominating.

He’s only played 49 AHL games thus far. Keith spent two full seasons in the AHL before going to Chicago. Ryan Whitney played 89 games before getting a shot in the show, and there are plenty more who honed their craft in the AHL before becoming regulars in the NHL.

Barker might not pan out, but it’s not like Tambellini decided to spin the wheel after getting an 80 with his first spin.

Most Cup winning teams have an impact player or two that turned out to be much better than they expected. Tim Thomas was a journeyman before finding his game in Boston. Patrick Sharp was acquired for nothing four years before scoring 22 points in 22 games to help the Hawks win the Cup. Max Talbot was an 8th round pick in 2002, and then he was third in goals during the Pens Cup run in 2008.

Barker was a good risk, and of all the Oiler UFA signings he has the highest potential upside.

Earlier today Brownlee had a great piece about the Oilers possibly adding another coach. It makes a lot of sense, but it likely won’t be Charlie Huddy. Huddy interviewed in Winnipeg and it sounds like he is a front runner to help develop their young blueliners. With Zach Bogosian, Dustin Byfuglien and Tobias Enstrom all 25 and under, Huddy would seem like a great choice.