The NHL common season begins on Oct. 4 when the New Jersey Devils and Buffalo Sabres play in Czechia as a part of the NHL World Collection. Followers of the Calgary Flames must wait till Oct. 9 for the beginning of their new marketing campaign; they play an away recreation towards the Pacific Division rival Vancouver Canucks. The franchise is in the midst of a rebuild, with a roster blended with youth and established professionals. After a momentous 2024 NHL Entry Draft, they made only some minor strikes this offseason.
Associated: Flames’ 2024 Free Agent Additions & Subtractions
The 2024-25 Flames will probably be targeted on progress and growth. The group’s roster is just about set heading into camp, when younger gamers will probably be preventing for spots and others will probably be vying for higher ones. Nonetheless, one new identify has been added to the listing of gamers: 33-year-old defenseman Tyson Barrie. The Flames simply signed him to knowledgeable tryout contract (PTO), which means he may have a possibility to battle for a roster spot as effectively. Right here’s a have a look at what the veteran brings to the desk and his possibilities of making the group.
Barrie’s Physique of Work
A local of Victoria, BC, Barrie was a third-round choose of the Colorado Avalanche in 2009 after a profitable junior profession with the Western Hockey League’s Kelowna Rockets. He made the Avalanche full-time within the lockout-shortened 2012-13 marketing campaign, skating in 32 contests. He performed the following six seasons with the Avs, scoring 75 targets and 307 factors by 484 video games.
Barrie was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs within the blockbuster deal for Nazem Kadri, amongst others, in 2019. He suited up for only one season with the Maple Leafs, placing up 39 factors in 70 video games. He then signed with the Edmonton Oilers and performed with Connor McDavid and co. till 2023, when he was shipped to the Nashville Predators as a part of a package deal deal for fellow defender Mattias Ekholm. Barrie was with the group till his contract expired this offseason.
Barrie is your prototypical offensive defenseman; he’s adept at becoming a member of the frenzy for scoring probabilities and thrives as the purpose of distribution on the ability play. He has scored no less than 12 targets and has eclipsed 41 factors in a season six occasions, and 210 of his 505 profession factors have come on the person benefit.
Sadly, having these superior qualities makes for a diminished position within the defensive zone, the place Barrie tends to battle. He steadily offers up pucks, isn’t very bodily, and has a profession plus-minus score of minus-75. Age can also be not on his facet; whereas he boasts spectacular profession per-season averages of 11 targets and 51 factors, he had only one aim and 14 assists with the Predators final season.
Might Barrie Make the Group
In brief, sure. In fact, it is going to rely on how the opposite blueliners play in coaching camp and the preseason and the course administration needs to take the group. However Barrie gives two issues the Flames want: energy play manufacturing and expertise. Although they’d one of many league’s greatest penalty kills, their energy play ranked twenty sixth in 2023-24, which isn’t ok. Solely Kadri scored greater than 20 factors with the additional man, a determine that Barrie has exceeded six occasions and as not too long ago as 2022-23.
Amongst defensemen, Mackenzie Weegar did most of his injury at even energy, and Rasmus Andersson had simply eight assists regardless of averaging essentially the most energy play ice time (2:20). Whereas Barrie seemingly couldn’t take the ability play from twenty sixth to first singlehandedly, he has been a part of many profitable models and would make a distinction. Over his 13-year profession, his common group energy play proportion is 23.2, and his group’s success fee has been tenth or higher league-wide ten occasions.
As a veteran of over 800 NHL video games, Barrie additionally has a wealth of expertise to share with the group’s youthful gamers. The Flames are the twelfth youngest group within the league, with a median age of 29. He would additionally present a bit extra safety on the again finish; after Weegar and Andersson, the Flames will roll out a comparatively inexperienced backside 4 of Daniil Miromanov, Kevin Bahl, Jake Bean, and Brayden Pachal. Barrie may very well be a extra serviceable possibility to carry down the fort this season till among the group’s premier defensive prospects are prepared. As a righty, he’d seemingly be battling with Pachal for the sixth spot however might additionally change into the group’s de facto seventh defender and rotate in for video games or play full-time ought to accidents happen.
All in all, a PTO is a low-risk possibility that could be a win-win for NHL groups. They both get a participant who performs effectively sufficient to earn an reasonably priced NHL contract or one who offers new veteran competitors in camp for little to no cash. PTOs don’t get transformed into contracts practically as usually as they used to, however Barrie has a good probability of doing so. He has loads of proverbial fuel left within the tank and has intangible that the Flames ought to covet.
