Tyson Barrie is Oilers' best option from remaining free agent class
The Edmonton Oilers are believed to be searching for a right-handed defenceman in free agency before the 2024-25 season gets underway.
The Oilers have a bit of a hole on their back end following the departures of Philip Broberg and Cody Ceci. They were able to bring back right-shot defenceman Ty Emberson from the San Jose Sharks in the Ceci trade, but, while he seems to have potential, he’s a bit of a risk to rely on this coming season.
As it turns out, there are a number of veteran right-handed blue liners that remain up for grabs on the free-agent market. Yesterday, Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff said the Oilers do have interest in a few, including former Oiler Justin Schultz, as well as Kevin Shattenkirk. It was another name, however, that appears to be the best fit.
UFA Update: #Oilers are perusing the market for right-shot D, including Justin Schultz, Tyson Barrie and Kevin Shattenkirk, among others.
Also, Max Pacioretty has firm offers in-hand from at least three teams, the veteran forward expected to make a decision soon.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) August 23, 2024
Seravalli also mentioned Tyson Barrie, who spent parts of three seasons with the Oilers from 2020 to 2023. He was part of a package that was dealt just ahead of the trade deadline during the 2022-23 season in exchange for Mattias Ekholm.
While Barrie had some defensive struggles during his time in Edmonton, he was quite productive offensively, putting up 132 points over 190 games. Perhaps most importantly, he was very popular in the Oilers dressing room and would be welcomed back with open arms by his teammates.
By no means is Barrie an elite option, but bringing him in on a professional tryout offer (PTO) to see what he has to offer is essentially a no-risk option for the Oilers. Should he prove capable of being an every day option in the top six, he could be signed to a very inexpensive deal given the lack of interest he has received to date on the free-agent market.