NHL Insider Proposes Interesting Trade Idea Between Canadiens & Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers will be looking to shed some cap space this summer, and the Montreal Canadiens could be a team to watch, according to NHL Insider Jeff Marek.

It’s no secret that the Edmonton Oilers will need to clear cap space in order to fill out the roster and address the glaring hole at the goaltending position moving forward. Joining Marek on his The Jeff Marek Show, Elliotte Friedman believed that Barrie’s name is going to be in the rumour mills due to Evan Bouchard’s rapid growth over the last season.

“I do think the Oilers are going to have to move cap space,” said Friedman on the Jeff Marek Show. “I think one of the guys we’re going to be watching is going to be Tyson Barrie. It’s been a real merry-go-round since Colorado.”

Within seconds, the two first teams that came to Marek’s mind were the Seattle Kraken and the Montreal Canadiens, who would be able to take on Barrie’s $4.5M contract for the next two years.

“We wonder about Seattle, but we can also wonder about Montreal there,” said Marek in response to Barrie’s potential availability.”There will clearly be a market for him.”

If and when the Montreal Canadiens are able to trade Jeff Petry, it could make a lot of sense to bring in a player like Barrie. There would have to be a sweetener involved to entice the Canadiens to take on that salary, like perhaps a 2nd round pick or a promising prospect like Matvey Petrov, but the fit with the Canadiens holds up.

If the Canadiens do trade Petry, there would be a hole at the right-defence position, with only David Savard and Chris Wideman as regular right-shot defencemen on the team, with Wideman playing in a #6-7D role. Bringing in a guy like Barrie gives the Canadiens a stop-gap until Justin Barron is truly ready for the NHL, and a powerplay quarterback to help promote more offence on what was a very underwhelming powerplay last season.

The sweetener involved would have to be worth the Montreal Canadiens’ sacrifice of cap space. Given the limited amount of right-shot defencemen available, and only two years remaining on Barrie’s deal, this could very likely be the type of deal general manager Kent Hughes explores this summer to add experience and mobility to his blueline.