Tyson Barrie explains how he was almost traded to the Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks made a franchise-altering splash at the 2019 NHL Draft.
In what ended up being Jim Benning’s best move as general manager of the Canucks, he traded a 2020 first-round pick to the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for J.T. Miller.
But what if Benning acquired Tyson Barrie instead?
The recently retired defenceman confirmed that he almost became a Canuck in 2019, before eventually being traded from the Colorado Avalanche to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Barrie shared his side of the story about what nearly transpired during an appearance on Sportnet 650 with Dan Riccio and Satiar Shah.
“I was actually in New York City at a buddy’s bachelor party that I planned, and we were at a [New York] Yankees game,” Barrie said. “My phone rang, and it was my agent.”
“He goes, ‘Tys, I know you’re in New York and I usually don’t bother you with this stuff, but there’s a chance you’re going to [get traded] to the Canucks here at the draft. We won’t know until they announce the pick, but stay tuned.'”
Rumours were swirling around the 2019 draft that the Canucks were going hard after the Victoria, B.C., native, with one report suggesting that the offer was Jake Virtanen and a first-round pick in 2020.
“I was just watching the Yankees game and thinking I was going to get traded to the Canucks,” Barrie said.
Barrie was coming off a career-best season with 14 goals and 59 points in Colorado. However, the Avalanche also had Sam Girard on the right side, along with future Norris Trophy winner Cale Makar.
“Obviously, I loved Colorado, but I kinda knew I was going to get traded,” Barrie said. “To be able to go home to Vancouver would have been really cool, but obviously it didn’t materialize.”
The Avalanche traded Barrie to Toronto on July 1, 2019, as part of a package to acquire Nazem Kadri.
“Had I ended up in Vancouver, I probably would have been able to step into an extension and find a home,” Barrie said.
“Instead, I went to the Maple Leafs on a one-year tryout, and that didn’t go super great. It goes to show you where you land and whose trading for you can alter the trajectory of your career and your life.”
The trade worked out for Colorado, as Kadri helped them win a Stanley Cup in 2022. Barrie wasn’t re-signed by the Leafs after the 2019-20 season, and played for the Edmonton Oilers, Nashville Predators, and Calgary Flames before announcing his retirement in August.
For the Canucks, not acquiring Barrie was the right move, considering that they had Quinn Hughes in the fold. The decision to acquire Miller instead of Barrie also proved to be correct, as the former Lightning winger registered 437 points in 404 career games for the Canucks.