Canucks 2020 free agent targets on defense: Tyson Barrie
The Vancouver Canucks need to strengthen their blueline ahead of next season. Offensive-defenseman and hometown boy, Tyson Barrie may be the perfect fit.
Stretching all the way back to the rumours of the 2019 draft, Tyson Barrie has been on the radar of the Vancouver Canucks for quite some time. The team General Manager, Mr. Jim Benning likes what he sees from the Victoria-born defender and has been rumoured to have targetted Barrie via trade on more than one occasion.
Rumours flew from all sources of Barrie being moved to the Pacific west coast but back on February 21st, Daniel Wagner of Pass it to Bulis reported that Benning was interested in trying to make a Trade Deadline deal involving Barrie coming to Vancouver and another Canucks local, Troy Stecher heading back the other way.
Obviously, it didn’t come to fruition back then, but Barrie is an upcoming UFA currently playing for a team that most likely doesn’t have the cap space to extend him. If Benning is still serious about acquiring Barrie as a core piece to the D-core, this summer he should highly consider taking a long and very hard look at the 28-year-old.
Looking at the current blueline situation, Stecher, Chris Tanev and Oscar Fantenberg are all in need of a re-up before puck drop next fall. With money tight this summer, Tanev will most likely be featured on the top of Benning’s priority list when it comes to an extension.
Both Stecher and Fantenberg were solid options this season in the five-six spot, but if Benning wants an upgrade to the blueline but he still feels the need to keep Tanev, then they both could very well find themselves awaiting calls from other teams.
Barrie is a very interesting option for the Canucks, but his game style, in my opinion, is too similar to rookie sensation Quinn Hughes. Both offensively gifted players rack up points quarterbacking the first unit power play.
Bringing Barrie into Vancouver as a second power play specialist sounds smart, but it is probably a bad way of spending your money. The Canucks man-advantage on defence is mostly a one-man show with Hughes often double shifting with the first and second unit forwards.
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Barrie being the local with a lot of offence in his defensive game really sounds like a great addition to the blue line, but it’s likely he’ll demand top dollar and even at a hometown discount the price is probably too steep.