It’s difficult to imagine, but at the point the Toronto Maple Leafs are barely over the 20-game mark in the 2019-20 NHL season, there are already rumblings of possible trades to shake-up the unmitigated disaster the team currently finds itself in.
Now 10th in the Eastern Conference, the Maple Leafs are 9-9-2 on the season and players who were brought in over the summer to round out the roster find themselves in the rumor mill, namely defenseman Tyson Barrie.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman broke the news on Saturday Headlines and everyone in Leafs Nation seems to be talking about it today. But, is Barrie really on the trade block?
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A Mistake for Maple Leafs to Move Barrie
Reports are that Barrie hasn’t asked for a trade but he’s struggled mightily with the Maple Leafs. With only six points (no goals) in 22 games for the Maple Leafs, adding Barrie has not worked out at all for the Maple Leafs so far. That the team traded Nazem Kadri as part of a package to acquire Barrie stings even more considering he was supposed to be a major contributor.
Early talk was that he was struggling with the system, but it’s more than that now. He’s in a contract year and one would have to assume he wants to get himself into a situation where he can improve his numbers on a future deal. If it isn’t with the Leafs, how long before he wants to be moved?
Thus far, the Maple Leafs have shot down any notion of moving him. In part, because he’s only being paid $2.75 million of his $5.5 million salary by the Maple Leafs. He’s a bargain for what he “should” be bringing. Second, there is still hope he can turn things around.
Barrie is a blueliner that has scored 50-plus points in the last two seasons and he should be able to add to the Maple Leafs offense.
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