Toronto Maple Leafs trade deadline preview: Will Tyson Barrie get moved?
Trade talk surrounding Tyson Barrie has picked up steam and the Toronto Maple Leafs should consider pulling the trigger ahead of the trade deadline.
Going into the weekend, Tyson Barrie‘s name was gaining a lot of attention on the trade watch and it looks like that won’t be silenced anytime soon considering the Toronto Maple Leafs find themselves in an interesting position.
There comes a time where you have to admit that a move made didn’t yield the results you were looking for and it’s safe to say Barrie doesn’t provide what the Leafs need. This is why Kyle Dubas should be making it a priority to move the defenceman at the trade deadline.
While losing to the Carolina Hurricanes was a rock bottom moment for the Leafs, it should also provide Kyle Dubas with a loud and clear message. They shouldn’t keep Barrie as their own rental and should try to get whatever value he can provide.
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According to TSN’s Frank Seravalli, the Leafs have reportedly received calls from the Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, Vegas Golden Knights and ironically the Hurricanes.
So what do the Leafs try to get in return? Well if they still intend on competing they will either need a defenceman in return who provides something different or assets that could be used in another deal.
This is why players like Troy Stetcher, Adam Larsson, and T.J. Brodie have been mentioned as potential options in a trade. The difficulty with that is trying to convince teams to part with an asset for a rental considering Barrie is a pending unrestricted free agent.
What could also be a possibility is trading Barrie and not make it a priority to get something for this season and just prioritize recouping future assets. It could be a similar situation as when the St. Louis Blues traded Paul Stastny while they were in a playoff hunt.
Considering the humiliating loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, don’t expect moving one player to be the solution to the team’s problems. At the same time, Barrie has proven that he isn’t capable of playing the role he is currently playing and it would make more sense to get something for the blueliner considering he probably won’t return next season.
Other than Barrie, it’s tough to see a player like Kasperi Kapanen or Alexander Kerfoot after Andreas Johnsson‘s season-ending injury. If anything, the Leafs would probably save a move like that for the off-season where there could be some major changes if this season ends as many are expecting.
Next. Maple Leafs hit rock bottom after humiliating loss to Hurricanes. dark
What do you expect the Leafs to do at the trade deadline? Should they make trading Barrie a priority? Let us know in the comments below.