Colorado Avalanche Should Keep Tyson Barrie

Tyson Barrie is an integral part of the Avs line-up, and with current injuries to Erik Johnson and Anton Lindholm, he’s more important than ever. Don’t trade him Joe!

With the NHL trade deadline approaching fast, the Colorado Avalanche will have some decisions to make. It is always more complicated than will the Avs be buyers, sellers, or watchers. If they are to be sellers, who do they sell and for how much? If they are to be buyers, who and what will they have to sacrifice? No matter what the Avs decide to do, the number one priority should be to keep Tyson Barrie.

The Avalanche are hanging on in the Western Conference playoff hunt by a thread. Even though they are only three points outside of the last wild card spot, they are looking up at the Calgary Flames and Anaheim Ducks. They are also fighting with the Minnesota Wild, Los Angeles Kings, St. Louis Blues and Dallas Stars; all of which are within 4 points of the Avs. That’s a lot of teams to be competing with.

The Avs are in a unique position. It seems as though breaking the bank to acquire a big piece is out of the question, due to the number of teams they have to overtake. Going after someone less expensive also looks like a waste, as the Avalanche are more than just one or two small moves away from being a legitimate playoff contender.

Selling players may be the route to go, but Joe Sakic has to be smart and judge the market. Players like Blake Comeau, Nail Yakupov, Mark Barberio (depending on health) and Jonathan Bernier should only be moved if the price is right

One player I continually hear Avalanche fans call for Sakic to trade is Tyson Barrie. Before I list my reasons why I think that is not the smart move, I will say there is a case to be made. Teams all over the NHL would kill for a top-4, right handed, offensive defenseman. He’s 26 and will turn 27 before the start of next season and carries a cap hit of 5.5 million dollars for another two years. This is a pretty easy contract for a team to take on, especially if the cap is to go up next year as projected.

Especially at the trade deadline, teams will certainly over-pay for a player like Barrie. He could easily be a piece that puts a team over the edge into serious Stanley Cup contention. The Avs do also have a good amount of promising defenseman in the pipeline in Cale Makar, Conor Timmons, Nicolas Meloche and current Avs D-man Samuel Girard.

Considering the current scenario, the Avs are in a good position to get a very good haul for Barrie if they want. Sakic has shown patience with trades in the past, so it seems he won’t budge unless he gets a price he wants.

Here’s why the Avalanche shouldn’t trade Barrie.