Speaking with Luke Gazdic on the Mitts Off Podcast, former Edmonton Oilers defenseman Tyson Barrie talked about his leaving Edmonton and being traded by the team to the Nashville Predators. Being disappointed to leave the team and a chance at the Stanley Cup, Barrie said the trade to Nashville sort of came out of nowhere, but it certainly wasn’t a surprise he was potentially going to be moved. In fact, he noted that GM Ken Holland had advised him that he could be dealt in a different deal for an even bigger name than Mattias Ekholm.
Barrie said during the show, “I have having a pretty good year and I didn’t really think I was on the radar. I heard some Erik Karlsson rumors. I talked to Kenny and he told me, ‘That’s kind of the only place you’re gonna go if we have a chance to get Erik Karlsson.'” He said he responded, “Hey, no problem” as if to suggest he understood that the opportunity presented to the Oilers might be too good to pass up.
It was the Ekholm deal that came together last minute and caught Barrie off guard. In other words, the Oilers were clearly talking with the San Jose Sharks and working on the trade. They were in the mix and were hoping that the Sharks ask for the Norris Trophy winner would come down. Ultimately, that never happened. When the Ekholm opportunity popped up, the Oilers jumped and had to go back on their word to Barrie.
What If the Oilers Had Landed Karlsson?
It’s interesting to hear confirmation that the Oilers were working on the Karlsson deal. While it never came to pass, one has to wonder just how close the two sides got, if at all. And, had they made the deal, what San Jose ultimately would have retained or asked for in the deal to make it work.
The cap situation is already tight in Edmonton. With Karlsson on the roster, it would have been extremely difficult to do anything and it’s hard to know if some of the moves that came after Karlsson would have happened. Certainly, there would have been no Ekholm — who was a fantastic addition. There probably would have been no Connor Brown in the summer. And, Evan Bouchard likely doesn’t get the chance to run the power play for the Oilers.
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