Tyson Barrie Proving His Worth in Edmonton

Tyson Barrie struggled with the Toronto Maple Leafs last year.

On a team that had just parted ways with Jake Gardiner, Barrie slotted in as his replacement. The thing was, that's not what the Maple Leafs needed.

As a power-play specialist with the Colorado Avalanche, Barrie became displaced from this role with the Leafs, who already had Morgan Rielly.

With the Edmonton Oilers, Barrie is back at on top as the man advantage quarterback and is thriving.

Barrie leads the NHL in most points among players on a new team this season with 24. The next three players in the top four on that list are all forwards: Montreal's Tyler Toffoli (23), Florida's Patric Hörnqvist (22) and Mike Hoffman (19) of the St. Louis Blues.

With a goal & an assist Friday night, #Oilers Tyson Barrie now leads the NHL in points among players on new teams pic.twitter.com/SvfZ2DyMdr
— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) March 13, 2021

In Wednesday's 7-1 rout of the Ottawa Senators, Barrie had a three-point night. He set up Darnell Nurse's goal that opened the scoring 3:52 into the game and assisted on a couple of Leon Draisaitl goals. On Friday, as the Oilers pushed their winning streak to four straight, Barrie added another two points to his total.

Barrie currently sits tied with the Canadiens' Jeff Petry for second overall in scoring by a defenseman.

Any disconnect that existed in Toronto between what Barrie thought his role would be and what the team needed has evaporated in Edmonton. That is to say, the Oilers are getting the best of Barrie's abilities and are not limiting him to a role that he is ill-suited for: namely, a shut down defensive-style player.

Barrie is not the best in the team's own end, and that's alright. Because what he can bring to a power play is a game-changer. And he's not bad at even strength either.

Right on the tape to @tysonbarrie and Connor McDavid (@cmcdavid97) collects his 50th point of the season. pic.twitter.com/zGkGsBvUNT
— NHL (@NHL) March 13, 2021

"I'm used to, you know, the arm goes up and you jump the boards, so that was a bit of an adjustment for the first 25 games (in Toronto) or whatever, and I obviously I wasn't having a ton of success," he told Sportsnet earlier this year upon his return to the Big Smoke. "And it was a big year for me, going into free agency, so I was aware of that."

He's playing so well that some are wondering just where he fits into the Oilers' future. Is now the perfect time to trade him while his value has peaked?

Barrie is on a one-year $3.75 million deal and will become an unrestricted free agent at the season's end. On the right side, the Oilers have Ethan Bear, Evan Bouchard and Adam Larsson. Will General Manager Ken Holland want to sign the older Barrie to a long-term deal when he has, arguably, a cheaper version of him available in Bouchard at his disposal?

It comes down to how patient he wants to be with the big rookie blueliner. Bouchard has polished offensive skill and superstar potential. No one can argue he is at the level Barrie is right now, but it would be easy to make the case that he can get there.

Of course, he won't be a carbon copy. Each player has their own benefits and drawbacks. But if I were an Oilers fan right now, I would be pretty worried to wake up one day and find out Holland has signed Barrie to a massive cap-eating deal. Reason being that it would displace money that can be spent on a goalie or locking up Bouchard down the line when his entry-level contract expires at the end of the 2022-23 season, or both.

Barrie has proven his worth. Now it's time to see if he can bring in a significant return for the Oilers at the trade deadline.