Former Avalanche star defenseman spills the trade that could have completely altered his NHL career
Photo credit: New York Times
Former Colorado Avalanche star defenseman Tyson Barrie has opened up about a trade that could dramatically altered the trajectory of his NHL career, revealing just how different his path might have been.
Barrie officially announced his retirement after 14 seasons in the NHL.
Tyson Barrie reveals the trade that could have changed everything.
Adam Kierszenblat from The Hockey News writes that now retired, Barrie has been making appearances on podcasts and radio shows to reflect on his NHL career.
One such appearance was on Sportsnet 650, where the 34-year-old discussed the near-trade to the Vancouver Canucks. Barrie revealed that negotiations between Vancouver and the Avalanche progressed to the point where his agent reached out to him just before the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.
"I was actually in New York City at a bachelor party that I'd planned, and we were at a Yankees game, and my phone rang. It was my agent. He goes, Hey, Tyson, oh, you're in New York. I don't usually bother you with this stuff, but there's a chance you're gonna go to the Canucks here at the draft. He's, like, it sounds like it's close, and we won't know until they announced the pick. But stay tuned. So I was just watching the Yankees game, thinking I was getting traded to the Canucks, which I was like, you know, obviously I love Colorado, but I kind of knew I was going to get traded. So to be able to go home to Vancouver, in a way, would have been really cool, but obviously didn't materialize. So I talked to Sakic after, and he said it wasn't actually that close, so it kind of shows you the business you're in a little bit." -Barrie
Reports indicated that Barrie was set to go to the Canucks in exchange for Jake Virtanen and a first-round pick. However, the trade ultimately fell through. Instead, Barrie was dealt to the Toronto Maple Leafs, along with Alexander Kerfoot and a 2020 sixth-round pick, in exchange for center Nazem Kadri, defenseman Calle Rosen, and Toronto's 2020 third-round pick. Barrie spent one season in Toronto before signing as a free agent with the Edmonton Oilers in 2020.
"I think, you know, had I ended up in Vancouver, I probably would have been able to step into a bit of an extension and, you know, find a home. But instead, I went to the Maple Leafs on a kind of a one-year, almost tryout, and that didn't go super great. So it just goes to show you, you know where you land and you know who's trading for. You just can kind of alter the trajectory of your career and obviously your life." -Barrie
Looking back, it is intriguing to think what Vancouver's team would have looked like had Barrie been traded to the Canucks.
"While Vancouver had a strong blue line that featured Quinn Hughes, Alex Edler, Chris Tanev, and Tyler Myers, having a defenceman who could put up close to 40 points a year would have been beneficial, especially in the playoffs. Unfortunately, as Barrie pointed out, the deal never happened, meaning he never got the opportunity to play for Vancouver during his NHL career." -Kierszenblat
Ultimately, Barrie has a highly underrated NHL career. His 508 career points place him 10th among defenseman since his debut in the 2011-12 season, and he's tied for 17th in game-winning goals among blueliners with 21.
Barrie also represented Canada multiple times, highlighted by winning a gold medal at the 2015 World Championship.
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SEPTEMBRE 23 | 19 ANSWERS Former Avalanche star defenseman spills the trade that could have completely altered his NHL career Is former Avalanche defenseman Tyson Barrie a future Hall of Famer? | ||
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| no | 14 | 73.7 % |
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