Oilers lose out on Barrie?

Here you have it folks, Barrie has resigned with the Avs. What does this mean for the Oilers now?

It was clear that the Oilers were a team that would have lots of interest in Barrie, as he fits right into the mold of what the team needs. A young, puck-moving RHD who has the ability to put up points from the back end. To level with you, I thought it would require an offer sheet for the Oilers to be able to secure his talents.

The deal is one that is great for the Avalanche as they are able to buy two-years of Barrie’s UFA years. Based off what the ask was from both player and team, it’s clear that Joe Sakic and the Avalanche realized the value Barrie has, even though Patrick Roy feels he is a number five defenceman. At least, that’s what Terry Frei of the Denver Post believes.

Truth be told, if that is how they feel about Barrie $5.5 million is a lot for a third pairing powerplay specalist. 

Where does this leave the Avalanche? There is always potential a deal could still be made for Barrie, but it is too soon and too difficult to say if that will be the case or not. Theoretically, any player in the NHL could be traded at any point. 

Funny enough, when you look at the HERO charts comparing Tyson Barrie and still UFA RHD James Wisniewski there are plenty of similarities. I, like many others, have been tooting the “sign Wiz” horn for a while. If Wisniewski is back to being 100% after suffering a torn ACL last season, I feel he would be a fantastic stop-gap option for the team.

The Oilers should welcome the opportunity to see him compete on a Professional Tryout once training camp gets underway. Jacob Trouba, who is still an unsigned RFA, could be another option for the team.

Drop a line in the comments, and let me know what you’d like to see the Oilers do.