Tyson Barrie’s rough season in Calgary has hit another low point, with the Flames placing the veteran defenseman on waivers Thursday.
It’s been a tough year for the 33-year-old, who’s only played in 13 games despite staying healthy all season. He managed just one goal and two assists while averaging less than 16 minutes of ice time – the lowest of his 14-year NHL career.
Things got really rough between November and January. Barrie sat out for more than two months straight before getting a brief tune-up in the minors.
Even that AHL stint, where he picked up three points in two games, didn’t turn things around. He’s played just four NHL games since then, and while he did get an assist against Washington on January 28, his plus-minus rating stayed negative.
The Flames have already moved on, calling up young defensemen Yan Kuznetsov and Ilya Solovyov to fill Barrie’s spot.
It’s quite a fall for a guy who put up 55 points just two seasons ago with Edmonton and Nashville.
The numbers tell an interesting story. Since entering the league in 2011, Barrie’s racked up 508 points in 822 games – that’s ninth-best among all defensemen in that span. But there’s a catch: 42% of those points came on the power play, and his career minus-83 rating is among the worst for defenders.
The move to waive Barrie isn’t just about his performance. The Flames need his roster spot to bring back Connor Zary from injury. Zary’s been out for 15 games but has been practicing this week and could play against San Jose this weekend.
For Barrie, who signed a one-year, $1.25M deal after making the team in training camp, the question now is whether another team will take a chance on his offensive skills – or if this might be the end of the road.
