Colorado Avalanche: Vancouver Canucks Want Tyson Barrie

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Tyson Barrie is a player many teams want — including the Vancouver Canucks. Find out what a couple armchair GMs think a trade between the two teams could look like.

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Tyson Barrie is like the popular girl at the dance — everybody wants to dance with him. Well, more than dance with him, they want to slot him into their defensive corps.

Now, there’s no reason to think that the Avalanche don’t want to keep Barrie. GM Joe Sakic said two months ago in his presser that any player was potentially available for a trade, though head coach Patrick Roy has indicated center Nathan MacKinnon is off the table. However, that doesn’t mean Tyson Barrie is the centerpiece of said table.

That said, the favorite Colorado Avalanche speculation these days is who’s going to land Tyson Barrie. Very infrequently do teams consider what the Avalanche are really going to require in return, though.

However, current The Canuck Way editor Janik Beichler, who used to be my co-editor on Mile High Sticking, recently wrote a trade proposal post that would take Barrie to Vancouver. Since Beichler is an Avalanche fan and used to write for MHS, he has a better perspective on the two teams.

Let’s look at Janik’s proposal.

Tyson Barrie to the Vancouver Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks are in a definite rebuild in my mind. However, Tyson Barrie is young and early on in his career — he certainly is a player you can build part of your blueline around. (Which is one of the reasons I don’t think the Colorado Avalanche are keen on trading him, but you could read more about that here.)

In any case, here’s the meat of the trade that Janik proposes:

Jannik Hansen is a 30-year-old right wing with decent size — 6-foot-1, 195 pounds. He’s got good speed and a decent two-way game. He’s a physical forward with good hockey IQ. He’s also adaptable enough to play either wing position.

Hansen doesn’t wow with his numbers. He was good for 38 points last season — his career-high was 39. That’s not exactly a match for Barrie, who’s been in the 50-point mark the last two seasons. Barrie’s also speedy and technically plays a two-way game as an offensive defenseman.

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Now, Janik (the writer) sweetens the pot by switching out their #5 pick for our #10. That’s a nice upgrade, and the Avalanche could get a crazy good player at that level. I mean, Matthew Tkachuk could still be available, as coule Pierre-Luc Dubois (both forwards). Either of those players might be NHL-ready next season.

Additionally, Janik throws in a prospect.

Now, the Colorado Avalanche would be getting rid of their #2 defenseman, and it’s highly unlikely they’d pick one up with that #5 selection. Therefore, they’re going to want a defensive prospect.

Now, P.K.’s younger brother Jordan is in the Canucks’ prospect pool. However, he’s a small, right-handed offensive defenseman. It doesn’t make sense that the Avalanche would trade one for the same.

Troy Stecher is a little more intriguing. He’s a bit bigger than Barrie, though still a righty. He’s got more of a two-way game with a rocket of a shot. Colorado might consider him.

I think the Avalanche might got for Guillaume Brisebois — I actually thought they might take him in last year’s draft. He’s big — 6-foot-2, 174 pounds. He’s got a focused two-way game, and he loves to jump into the play. He shows both great poise and excellent ice vision. He might still take a year or two to mature to NHL level, but he could make it eventually.

Related Story: Barrie to the Coyotes?

So, like I said, Janik has more insight. As long as Guillaume Brisebois is the prospect they’re offering, that could well be a package the Colorado Avalanche would consider.