Even though the Tampa Bay Lightning have had a very active summer, they should not be considered finished just yet. When looking at their present roster, it is reasonable to claim that they may benefit from having one more right-handed defenseman on their roster. If the Lightning want to increase their depth, they will have to look for bargain players because of the current circumstances with their salary cap. There is a fairly intriguing opportunity available in the form of veteran defenseman Tyson Barrie on the free-agent market.
After a very challenging 2023-24 season, Barrie is coming off of it. Throughout the course of the season, his position on the Nashville Predators’ depth chart experienced a decline, and he was the subject of a number of healthy scratches. Over the course of the season, he participated in 41 games and finished with one goal, 15 points, and a minus-10 rating.
There is some reason to hope that Barrie may turn things around if he were given another opportunity, despite the fact that it was a disappointing season for him. Despite the fact that he was not a good match with the Nashville Predators during the previous season, he enjoyed a great lot of success with the Edmonton Oilers before being traded. Over the course of his career, he has demonstrated that he is capable of flourishing when playing with stars, and the Lightning provide him with a number of them.
As recently as the 2022-23 season, Barrie has a total of 85 games played for both the Oilers and the Predators, during which he scored 13 goals and accumulated 55 points. Because that occurred not too long ago, it would be worthwhile to take a chance on him. Throughout the majority of his career, he was also a quality top-four offensive defenseman, which is another factor that contributes to his attractiveness.
The Lightning would have another reliable and experienced option on their right side if they were to sign Barrie to a one-year, prove-it deal. In the end, this would be beneficial for the Lightning. In addition to this, if he were to turn things around, he would have the potential to become a significant weapon in their power play.
