Final Grades 2014: Tyson Barrie, #4

Only a handful of people can say they saw this coming with Tyson Barrie. He went from looking like a bottom pairing, AHL call up to being called by his coach the best offensive defenseman on the team. Barrie established himself as irreplaceable and vital to the success of the Avalanche. His ability to be that guy in clutch moments was exciting and something to behold. The best part is that his consistency shows this wasn't a fluke season. It was a breakout one.

Regular Season

Stats

Advanced Stats 5 v. 5

Grade

A-

Staff Comments

Steve: Breakout season. Weighed down by complete defensive blackholes in his own end, wins games in the other.

c6hor8: His game hit elite offensive levels and was even limited to under 60 games. 

Sandie: Solid is the word that comes to mind with Barrie. Love what he brings to the table, pissed at how his post-season ended. Hoping he continues to rocket next season.

Mike: Dude is making the most of his second chance in the show.  Shooting% may be a tad high to be sustainable, but he was by far the most effective PP QB on the team.

Cheryl: I bought a Kelowna Rockets jersey with this guy's name on it. I think we all know how I feel.

Playoffs

Stats

Advanced Stats 5 v. 5

Grade

A-

Staff Comments

Steve: He got a b for broken :D [SOBBING INTENSIFIES]

c6hor8: Looked great until Cooke cheap shotted him

mfured20: If he hadn't been hurt, there's no telling what he might have accomplished.  But as it was, he played well in the two best-played Avs games of the series.  I couldn't have expected much more from him.  

Mike: His absence neutered an already sketchy PP and forced guys into roles that they weren't ready/able to handle.  An important cog.

Andi: WHY DID THEY HAVE TO HURT BARRIE?!?!?  WHY?  WHHHHYYY??? He was playing so well!  His confidence was contagious in the first two games, and his ability to move the puck was one of the few things that was helping us break MIN's trap.   Losing him was the straw that broke the camel's back.  We still had a chance to win without him, but it became a much harder task.  Honestly, I doubt we would have lost the series if he had been healthy.   

Cheryl: I know it's not a popular opinion around some watering holes, but I do believe Barrie would have made the difference between winning and losing that playoff run. Beyond his offensive skills, Barrie had a calmness about him. Cool as a cucumber. It affected those around him. Without him, the back end was a little more jumpy, a little more prone to trying to do too much (paging Erik Johnson). Cooke knew what he was doing. Take out the most dynamic guy on the ice for his position: MacKinnon, Barrie, or Varly. Kind of hard to knee or board a goalie, so he went after the kids. It worked. Fucking rat bastard.

Preseason Thoughts

We weighed in on the Bleakness of the Blueline, and Barrie's name didn't come up much.

Andi: Our D is also still rebuilding, so I doubt a long-term top pairing guy is brought in when guys like Siemens, Bigrass, and Elliott will be ready in a few years. (Note the absence of Tyson.)

Cole: Barrie was on a 33 point pace last season, which is a pretty respectable number, but I just don’t see him blowing up for the 40+ points we need from the blueline.

AJ:  Should the Tyson Barrie we saw for most of last year be the guy we get consistently, we'll be in great shape. Hopefully he and Elliott stop the weird body switching seasons they've exchanged the last couple years and both end up having great seasons. 

Steve: Unless Johnson takes that huge step we've been waiting for since The Trade (or Elliott becomes an NHL defenseman), our top pairing consists of a #2 and a #2/3 who's aging (Hejda), or you're playing rookies over their head, or we have Top Pairing Matt Hunwick again, or... (more Elliott, no Barrie)