The Calgary Flames took a significant step on Thursday by placing veteran defenseman Tyson Barrie on waivers, marking what could be the end of his stint with the team. Barrie, who is now 33 years old, had initially signed with the Flames to a one-year contract valued at US$1.25 million, following his performance on a professional tryout deal before the season began.
Despite hopes for Barrie to reclaim his form after previous seasons with the Nashville Predators, his time with the Flames has been less than satisfactory. He only appeared in 13 games this season, where he managed to score just one goal and two assists, culminating in a disappointing minus-7 rating.
Head coach Ryan Huska expressed his sentiments about Barrie's situation, highlighting their history together when they were both involved with the Kelowna Rockets during the 2008-09 season. "I have a lot of respect and time for him maybe because of our history, I think he’s a real good individual and he’s a great teammate around the room," said Huska. His respect for Barrie was evident, but he acknowledged the need to wait and see how the waiver process unfolded.
Earlier this week, the Flames had also recalled Ilya Solovyov and Yan Kuznetsov from their AHL affiliate, the Calgary Wranglers, indicating the shift toward strengthening their defense at Barrie's expense. This development set the stage for Barrie's waiver placement, which officially occurred at 2:00 PM EST on Thursday.
Barrie, originally drafted 64th overall by the Colorado Avalanche during the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, has had quite the career, playing for multiple teams including the Avalanche, Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, the Nashville Predators, and now the Flames. Throughout his career, he has notched 508 points across 822 games, contributing 110 goals and 398 assists as well as making significant defensive plays with 869 blocked shots and 506 hits.
Analyzing Barrie's performance history, he enjoyed his most productive years with the Avalanche, where over eight seasons he scored 307 points across 484 games. His best offensive season was during the 2018-19 campaign when he finished with 59 points—14 goals and 45 assists—in 78 games.
A brief stint with the Maple Leafs yielded 39 points across 70 games, but most recently, his time with the Oilers was also noteworthy, where he amassed 132 points over 190 games. Following his tenure with the Predators, which concluded with 15 points through 41 games, Barrie's move to the Flames was seen as potentially revitalizing, hoping to leverage his experience and skills as they pushed for playoff contention.
This current season, Barrie recorded three points with the Flames, coinciding with two appearances during his conditioning assignment with the Wranglers. His contributions included another goal and two assists, though many felt his talents were underutilized at the NHL level.
Overall, his struggles this season resonate with the Flames’ broader challenges as they now sit at 26-21-8, trailing the Vancouver Canucks by three points for the final wild-card spot, indicating tight competition within the Western Conference. The team is aiming to regain momentum following their Four Nations break, with their first game back slated against the San Jose Sharks.
With Barrie now on waivers, he stands on the precipice of becoming unrestricted free agency eligible this July. This transitional moment not only affects Barrie’s immediate playing situation but also raises questions about the Flames’ future strategies as they look to strengthen their roster for playoff aspirations.
To sum up, Tyson Barrie's waiver placement is more than just a routine procedural move—it's indicative of both his unfulfilled potential within the Flames and the team's urgent need to recalibrate their defense as they navigate the remainder of the season.