Predators scratch Tyson Barrie, reach out to his agent
Ahead of an afternoon game against the New York Rangers, the Nashville Predators made news by scratching their ever-polarizing defenceman Tyson Barrie.
The former Oiler defender was traded to Nashville as part of the deal that sent Mathias Ekholm to Edmonton. The Oilers came out of that deal satisfied with a strong two-way defenceman, but the Predators clearly aren't happy with Barrie's play to date.
The team announced today that Barrie would be a healthy scratch, and NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported that the Predators are allowing Barrie and his agent to foster a trade with another team.
Barrie is known for his offensive talents and puck moving ability, but his style of play clearly hasn't translated in Nashville. This season, Barrie only has 9 assists and a -5 rating in 22 games. He's in the final year of a contract that pays him $4.5M.
It's hard to think what kind of team would be interested in trading for Barrie. His play and pedigree has taken a step back from his consistent offensive production when he began his career in Colorado, and now is just an undersized puck-moving defenceman with shortcomings in his own end.
Potentially a playoff contender will look to add him and bring more offence from their blueline, but Barrie's play isn't usually the type to have success in the playoffs. We'll have to see how this plays out for the 32 year old veteran.
| POLL | ||
Do you think Barrie is an NHL quality player? | ||
| Yes, absolutely | 117 | 56.3 % |
| No, not anymore | 48 | 23.1 % |
| He's fine, he'll play on a non-playoff team | 43 | 20.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
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