Free agent defenseman Tyson Barrie set to return to his former team per reports

After a week where the Oilers lost both Cody Ceci and Philip Broberg from the right side of their defense, the team may be looking to add a more experienced player to strengthen that position.

Ty Emberson, 24, is currently the leading candidate to fill a spot on the Oilers' second defensive pair, despite having just 30 NHL games under his belt. While veterans Troy Stecher and Josh Brown are available, they may not be the ideal choices for regular NHL roles.

With that in mind, Edmonton Sports Talk's Dustin Nielson reported last night that the Oilers are considering bringing back defenseman Tyson Barrie on a PTO before training camp.

Barrie played about three seasons with the Oilers between 2020 and 2023, scoring 25 goals and 132 points in 190 games. He was a key part of one of the NHL's best powerplay units and was known for his offensive skills. However, his defensive play struggled, especially when paired with Darnell Nurse. As Evan Bouchard emerged as the team's primary powerplay quarterback, the Oilers traded Barrie to the Nashville Predators for Mattias Ekholm at the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline.

Barrie's performance declined with the Predators, and he was even a healthy scratch in some games last season. He only played in one of Nashville's six playoff games against the Vancouver Canucks.

Bringing Barrie back might not be the best solution for the Oilers' current needs. The team's biggest gap is at the 2RD position, and given Barrie's previous struggles with Nurse, it's hard to see him fitting in there again. Additionally, much of Barrie's value came from his powerplay role and playing with stars like Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl, which is now Bouchard's territory.

Barrie could potentially form a third pair with Brett Kulak, but his weak defensive metrics and declining offensive impact make this an unlikely success. While he might be cheaper than Ceci, the effectiveness could be similar or even worse.

Considering Edmonton's tight salary cap, it might make more sense to try Stecher or Brown in that spot instead of investing in Barrie for potentially the same, if not worse, results.

Credit: Daily Hive
Oilers considering bringing back Tyson Barrie on PTO: report