Oilers’ Tyson Barrie to Test Free Agent Market This Offseason

According to TSN Insider Darren Dreger, the belief inside the Edmonton Oilers organization is that defenseman Tyson Barrie will test the NHL free agent market when the Oilers season comes to a close. While the organization is said to be inching closer to an extension with Adam Larsson, Barrie is prime to make some decent money after finishing the 2020-21 regular season as the top point producer among defenseman. As was the plan when he joined the team, he’s looking to cash in.

Dreger notes that a strong season opens up the door for Barrie to see what kind of offers he might get and while he’d like to stick with the Oilers, he realizes that this might be one of his better opportunities to land a long-term deal for solid money.

Dreger notes:

The sense is that Barrie is going to test the free-agent market. He’s earned that right and given everything that Ken Holland and the Oilers are going to have to go through with hefty negotiations with Larsson, Nugent-Hopkins, Darnell Nurse, and others, you need to be able to compare apples to apples. 

Barrie signed a one-year deal in Edmonton at $3.75 million this past offseason. The expectation was that he’d get key minutes on the top power play unit in the NHL and things worked out even better than he could have hoped. He’s got one more game to play but currently sits at 48 points in 55 games. While he’s not an analytics darling, he has certainly rebounded after being the whipping boy with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Barrie Would Like to Stay If Oilers Can Make It Work

Dreger noted that Barrie would like to stay with the Oilers but is looking for some stability. If the Oilers can get Larsson signed to an extension and players like Ethan Bear and Evan Bouchard take on more prominent roles in seasons to come, Barrie isn’t a player Edmonton probably has worked into their long-term plans. This is especially true if Oscar Klefbom is able to make a return and reassume his role on the power play.

For Barrie fans that’s unfortunate because Dreger believes Barrie is looking for a five- or six-year term.

Next: Scribe Argues New York Rangers Target Different Forward, Not Jack Eichel