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Western Notes: Yeo, Bouwmeester, Nugent-Hopkins, Tolvanen, Kamenev, Bernier

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While they’ve hardly been eliminated from the playoffs, the St. Louis Blues are definitely having a disappointing season. With that in mind, the St. Louis Blues are likely to make some changes this offseason. The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford (subscription required) writes in a mailbag column that one change that shouldn’t happen is a coaching change. While the coach always must be held accountable for his actions, the scribe writes that it’s too early to push all the team’s failings on head coach Mike Yeo, who has only been with the team a little more than a year. Many of the leadership and chemistry issues that the team has were already there before Yeo got there.

While Rutherford does admit it’s disturbing that Yeo’s last coaching stint with the Minnesota Wild had many of the same issues, Yeo deserves more time to right the ship, which might require some personnel changes on the ice as many players are not pulling their weight.

One other issue is the team has struggled with key injuries to key players. The team failed to find an offensive replacement when Robby Fabbri or Jaden Schwartz were injured. In fact in 20 games without Schwartz, the team was 9-10-1.

  • In the same piece, Rutherford writes that while many people would like the team to buyout players who are struggling in St. Louis like Patrik Berglund, Jake Allen and Alex Steen, that won’t happen this offseason. All of their contracts would be too expensive to buyout. Berglund’s buyout cost would be $9.7MM, Allen’s would be $9MM and Steen’s contract would cost them $10.6MM. The most likely buyout candidate might be defenseman Jay Bouwmeester, who would only cost the team $3.6MM and would count just $1.8MM against the cap for the next two years.
  • The Edmonton Oilers announced they have activated center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins off of injured reserve Saturday. The 24-year-old has been out since Jan. 13 with a rib injury. While the former first overall pick will not be rejoining a team headed for the playoffs, he might bring up his own value with a good end of the season. Nugent-Hopkins could be a legitimate trade candidate this offseason. He was having a solid season in which he had 16 goals and 31 points in 46 games. With teams being desperate for centers and the Oilers having quite a few of them, they might find a taker for him.
  • The Eeli Tolvanen countdown continues as the Nashville Predators are awaiting their top prospect after his KHL team wraps up their season. The Tennessean’s Adam Vingan writes that Tolvanen’s team, Jokerit, opened their first-round playoff series Saturday with a double-overtime loss. The earliest possible day for Jokerit to be eliminated would be this Wednesday. If so, Tolvanen could join Nashville for their remainder of the season and the playoffs if they feel he can contribute. Of course, the Predators are loaded with depth since the trade deadline after acquiring Ryan Hartman and signing Mike Fisher.
  • Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar said that Vladislav Kamenev, who has been out with a broken arm since November after being injured in his first game for the Avalanche, has been cleared and might be assigned to the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL in the next couple of days for a conditioning assignment, according to Denver Post’s Mike Chambers. Kamenev, who was acquired on Nov. 6 in the three-team trade between Colorado, Ottawa and Nashville involving Kyle Turris and Matt Duchene, was injured while playing in his first game with Colorado. A key prospect included in the Avalanche’s haul for moving Duchene, Kamenev has played just 14 AHL games this year, having totaled three goals and nine assists. His return is just another talented player ready to step into the Avalanche’s lineup.
  • Chambers also mentioned in the same tweet that goalie Jonathan Bernier has also been cleared after suffering a concussion on Feb. 16. The Avalanche added that he was a full participant in practice Saturday and is expected to be activated soon.

An Avalanche Is Beginning In Colorado

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Over the last year, the Colorado Avalanche—and GM Joe Sakic in particular—have taken a lot of heat from media and fans for their performance on and off the ice. Heading into 2017 with a 12-23-1 record, they would go 10-33-3 over the last few months of the 2016-17 season to finish what was a historically bad campaign. Their players seemed to quit on the ice, and rumors of discontent in Jared Bednar’s locker room were rampant. Matt Duchene, one of the long-time faces of the franchise asked for a fresh start elsewhere, but was forced to finish the year and wasn’t promised anything going forward.

Cale MakarIn June, the team lost a young goaltender in Calvin Pickard to the expansion Vegas Golden Knights and were bumped all the way out of the top-3 in the draft lottery despite their last-place finish. Duchene trade rumors persisted, but Sakic wouldn’t lower his high asking price. Still, on the draft floor the Avalanche would be able to select exactly what they needed at fourth-overall. Cale Makar, an undersized defenseman whose most noticeable flaw was that he hadn’t played against high-level competition, dropped into their laps.

They’d be even more excited when Conor Timmins, a more traditional two-way defenseman from the OHL would slip out of the first round entirely. Timmins had climbed to 18th on the CSS rankings among North American skaters—and fourth among North American defensemen—by the end of the 2016-17 season, and yet still fell all the way to Colorado at 32nd-overall.

The rest of the summer went relatively uneventful, with all eyes still on Duchene, and the season began with a relatively similar Avalanche squad. The on-ice performance wouldn’t look anything like the end of the previous year though, as Colorado would go 8-5-0 through their first 13 games, led by a determined Duchene and energized Nathan MacKinnon. Then, on November 5th against the New York Islanders, Blake Comeau would be helped off the ice and down the tunnel to assess an injury. Behind him, Duchene would slip away as well, just informed that he’d been traded to the Ottawa Senators mid-game.

That deal, the one that Sakic had been pursuing for months, came about by involving both Ottawa and the Nashville Predators. The Avalanche finally received their asking price of a young NHL-ready defenseman (Samuel Girard), top prospect (Vladislav Kamenev) and first-round pick. Amazingly, they also added another top prospect in Shane Bowers, and two additional draft picks (Nashville’s 2018 second-round pick, and Ottawa’s 2019 third-round pick). It’s more than anyone expected Sakic would get for a player that now had fewer than two years remaining on his contract.

Colorado would lose that game against the Islanders, and the next two against the Duchene-led Senators while in Sweden. But since then, the team has gone 11-9-2 and is still in the playoff mix in the Western Conference. Their 41 points puts them at the bottom of the Central Division, but only three points behind the Anaheim Ducks for the final wildcard spot. That’s a huge step forward for a team that finished with only 48 points total in 2016-17.

It’s not going to end there.

While Girard is showing that he’s ready for a full-time role in the NHL at the tender age of 19, Makar and Timmins are starring for Team Canada at the World Junior tournament. Makar started as the team’s seventh defenseman, but has shone as Canada deals with injuries to several older and more experienced players. Both defensemen scored today against Switzerland, skating together at even-strength. Timmins is part of a powerhouse Sault Ste. Marie team in the OHL that has lost just three games in regulation, and could be in line for a Memorial Cup berth.

Suddenly, when you start imagining a blueline patrolled by those three and an offense led by MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen, only 22 and 21 respectively, the future doesn’t look so bleak in Colorado. Add in other high-upside players like Tyson Jost (19) and Alexander Kerfoot (23), a captain in Gabriel Landeskog who just turned 25, and four selections in the top two rounds in what is shaping up to be an incredible draft class, and it might not be very long until there is more than just hope in the Avalanche dressing room.

Central Notes: Jost, Girard, Wennberg, Schwartz, Stastny

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After a Friday report suggested 19-year-old center Tyson Jost of the Colorado Avalance might be allowed to play for Hockey Canada in the upcoming World Junior Championship in Buffalo in a few weeks, a new report from Mike Chambers of the Denver Post today suggests the opposite. In fact neither Jost nor defenseman Samuel Girard are likely to be allowed to leave Colorado.

The scribe writes that Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said he didn’t see that happening.

“It’s not up to me, but if it were I’d say no. They’re part of our team and we need them,” Bednar said.

Both Jost and Girard have said they have not spoken to Colorado Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic about playing in the under-20 tournament, which will start on Dec. 26. The tournament already has two top Colorado prospects in 2017 first-round pick Cale Makar and second-round pick Connor Timmons.

Jost and Girard both play with the Avalanche, although both players playing time have dropped recently. Jost plays on the “Kid Line” with Alexander Kerfoot and J.T. Compher and is still finding his way, while Girard has seen his time drop under 20 minutes after playing above that mark during his first eight games with the team.

“I’m just getting in my groove after being hurt so long,” Jost said. “I want to be here. Hockey Canada, whenever you can represent your country, it’s such an honor. I had my chance last year. Right now, honestly, I’m just focusing on playing on the Avs, focusing on earning the coach’s trust and put up numbers. Obviously, I haven’t been doing that and I’m trying not to get frustrated because I’m getting my chances and getting that opportunity. It will come. That’s what I’m focused on right now and just getting in this rhythm.”

  • Lyle Richardson of The Hockey News suggests that despite the Columbus Blue Jackets’ previous stance that they are looking for a top-line center, many within the organization now feel that last year’s third overall pick, Pierre-Luc Dubois, is starting to show that he might be that player they were looking for. Dubois has taken a step forward in his development and now is centering the team’s top line with Artemi Panarin and Josh Anderson. Richardson even suggests that with the emergence of Dubois, the team might consider moving center Alexander Wennberg, who is struggling a bit this season after a 59-point season a year ago, and might be better off getting a chance on a different team, while the team focus on other areas of need. The team might need to get a center back, but with Brandon Dubinsky currently playing on the second line, the team might have an asset they could live without.
  • Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes that St. Louis Blues winger Jaden Schwartz, who left today’s game against the Detroit Red Wings after taking a shot off his right foot is considered day-to-day. Coach Mike Yeo said X-rays were negative and he will be re-examined when they return to St. Louis. Any time missed would be a huge loss for the Blues. The 25-year-old scored his 14th goal of the season before going down today.
  • Staying with the Blues, The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford (subscription required) answers mailbag questions and writes that he doesn’t see the possibility of the NHL salary cap increasing potentially by $5MM as changing anything between negotiations between St. Louis and center Paul Stastny. Rutherford doesn’t believe that an increase in cap space will suddenly have general manager Doug Armstrong throwing money at Stastny. He believes the team has a set number in mind when it comes to Stastny and it will be up to him and his agent to decide if he wants to stay in St. Louis. The 31-year-old center hasn’t put up amazing numbers the last few years despite being paid $7MM AAV and will likely have to take a pay cut after his contract runs out at the end of the season. He currently has six goals and 20 points this season.

Colorado Avalanche To Send Tyson Jost To San Antonio

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While Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar spoke to the media today, he explained that Tyson Barrie won’t play tonight against the Washington Capitals due to an upper-body injury that has been bothering him. According to Adrian Dater of BSN Denver, he also indicated that the team would be sending Tyson Jost down to San Antonio of the AHL. The demotion is to get Jost playing big minutes again and reclaim his timing and fitness after sitting out with injuries of his own for nearly a month.

Jost has played just six games with the Avalanche this season, dealing with lower-body injuries suffered when Adam McQuaid sent him awkwardly into the boards last week. Though he would return for a pair of games he eventually went onto injured reserve on October 22nd.

The 19-year old came into the season as a potential Calder Trophy contender, after looking sharp in his six-game taste at the end of last season. Jost left the University of North Dakota after just one season, and jumped right to the NHL to provide some excitement for an Avalanche fan base that had just endured one of the worst seasons on record. Selected 10th-overall in 2016, Jost is a big part of the next wave for the Avalanche.

This will be his first taste of AHL life, and the Rampage will surely welcome him in. Already armed with an excellent group from two different NHL organizations—the Avalanche and St. Louis Blues are providing players for the Rampage this season—Jost should help San Antonio even more up front. The idea of pairing him with someone like Klim Kostin or Tage Thompson will have prospect junkies drooling, though it’s not clear where Jost will feature as of yet. It likely won’t be long before he’s back with the Avalanche.

A Closer Look At The Head Coach Hot Seat

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Before the season even started, several names surfaced as options to be on the dreaded “first to be fired” list released by a number of outlets. Detroit’s Jeff Blashill led the pre-season predictions while Chicago’s Joel Quenneville was even included on the list. Other names included were  Colorado’s Jared Bednar, and Winnipeg’s Paul Maurice. PHR ran a poll last week on this and Alain Vigneault and Claude Julien led the votes.

Heres a closer look at some of these names as teams approach completion of the first quarter of the season.

Todd McLellan

Raise your hand if you expected his name on this list before the season started. Edmonton, who was mentioned as a possible Stanley Cup contender during the preseason, has not only struggled in the first month of the season, but also had a heck of a time trying to score goals. Is it all on McLellan? It’s probably unfair to say so. But with giving up 13 more goals than scoring, and spared only by a dreadful Arizona team from being in last place, McLellan might be in trouble if the Oilers continue to slide.

Alain Vigneault

Another coach who was expected to lead his team deep into the playoffs, Vigneault’s Rangers were sputtering for the first few weeks of the season. Just two weeks ago, New York Post writer Larry Brooks wondered if Vigneault would even make it out of October with a job. It’s amazing what can change in such a short time. The Blueshirts are riding a six-game winning streak and have racked up quality wins against Vegas, Tampa Bay, and Columbus. Vigneault will still be scrutinized but the latest change in fortune have certainly helped his job status.

Jeff Blashill

After a brutal six game losing streak, Blashill’s seat was rumored to be scorching. Following a couple wins and a not-so-bad road trip, the Red Wings have 13 of their next 15 at home. This will most likely dictate Blashill’s fate, should there be a coaching change during the season. The third year coach can’t possibly be blamed for the roster, but the Red Wings want to be a perennial playoff participant. While that doesn’t seem realistic, an 8-8-1 record through 17 games is certainly not helping matters. Further, should the Red Wings not see progression with their younger players, it may seal Blashill’s fate.

Paul Maurice

Out of all the coaches who have been spoken of, Maurice’s name constantly pops up on the list. But so far this season, the Jets are 8-4-3 with 19 points and in second place in the Central Division. How many had him on the list is surprising since the veteran coach was not only extended back in September, but also has a winning mark in Winnipeg.

Jan 7, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Winnipeg Jets head coach Paul Maurice yells to his team during the third period against the Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Center. The Stars defeat the Jets 2-1 in the overtime shootout. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Jared Bednar

Mark it down as one of the biggest surprises that Colorado is 8-6-1 and are now sitting prettier after finally dealing Matt Duchene in what looks like a win for Joe Sakic. Bednar accepted the job after winning the Calder Cup with AHL Affiliate Cleveland before he endured the most miserable season in Avalanche  history since moving to Denver in 1995. If the Avs continue to keep their head above water, Bednar would have a relatively cool seat.

Joel Quenneville

It doesn’t seem right to put him on this list. A man who led the Blackhawks to three Stanley Cups is leading a team that is now older and shuffling a roster to remain cap-compliant. Firing him, regardless of what the Blackhawks do, seems like a cop out for a general manager who outside of a few players, has won off of his predecessor’s work. Fan Rag’s Craig Morgan wrote as much back in August.

After a torrid start, the Blackhawks have cooled, and are struggling to find the back of the net. The power play is in the bottom rung of the league at 13.6% (27th out of 31) and Quenneville has been employing a line blender to try and find something to work. Should Chicago run out of gas and be eliminated early again or worse, miss the playoffs, then it’s safe to say Coach Q is in trouble. However, if history has taught hockey fans anything, it’s to never count out the Blackhawks.

Colorado Avalanche Make Changes To Coaching Staff For 2017-18

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The Colorado Avalanche will stick with Jared Bednar as their head coach for next season, but he’ll be surrounded by a different group. Francois Allaire, Tim Army and Dave Farrish will not return for 2017-18. The Avalanche obviously wanted to shake up at least part of the staff after the complete disaster that was the past season. Bednar will now be able to be part of the hiring process to try and build a cohesive team.

Allaire had been the team’s goalie coach for four seasons, hired by the team after an explosive exit from the Maple Leafs in which he was criticized for his performance. Allaire claimed that he had been micro-managed, with his coaching being interfered with by the front office. Known for his butterfly style that created a Conn Smythe winner in Jean-Sebastien Giguere, Allaire faced criticism from Brian Burke on his exit from Toronto. Semyon Varlamov, Calvin Pickard and Giguere himself had found great success in Allaire’s first three years with the team, though the club finished second last in save percentage this season.

Farrish also spent time with the Maple Leafs, but was similarly let go while Randy Carlyle remained the head coach after a disappointing season. The former NHL defenseman has been coaching professional hockey since 1989 when he took over as head coach of the Moncton Hawks of the AHL. He had been with Colorado for two seasons and will likely find another landing spot around the league in no time.

Army had been with the Avalanche for six seasons and is a long-time assistant coach in the league. Between stints as the head coach for his alma mater Providence College he has served on the benches of Anaheim and Washington. He also spent three seasons as the head coach of the AHL’s Portland Pirates (now the Springfield Thunderbirds).

Central Notes: Nashville’s “Red Rover” Trap, Sakic, Stastny

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As the Chicago Blackhawks cleaned out their lockers, a number of quotes were mined from various reporters. One of the more interesting ones, reported by several outlets, was one from Patrick Kane regarding the key to Nashville’s dominance during the four game sweep. From the Chicago Sun-Times’ Mark Lazerus, we all learn that Chicago bench boss Joel Quenneville nicknamed the Nashville trap “Red Rover” and Patrick Kane doesn’t think it’s the greatest thing for hockey fans:

“A team like that, you kind of hope they don’t win, because I don’t know if that’s necessarily the best way to watch hockey games, and to actually have that excitement level,” Kane said. “But on the other [hand], they played good going the other way, too. They kind of sat back, but their transition game is fast, and they played with a lot of speed the other way. That gave us problems.”

Though the first part of the quote might sound like sour grapes, Kane was quick to give credit to a team that stifled Chicago’s scoring opportunities, limiting them to just three goals in four games. Winger Marian Hossa attributed the dump and chase game Chicago was forced to play as a major reason they lost–they never got comfortable.

  • The Denver Post’s Mark Kiszla thinks Colorado Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic would be foolish for not chasing after University of Denver coach Jim Montgomery. Kiszla writes that Montgomery has built Denver into a powerhouse and would be the perfect addition to a team with young players and in the midst of a massive rebuilding project. Since Florida has Montgomery lined up for an interview, Kiszla wonders if it would behoove Sakic to do whatever it takes to keep the national championship winning coach in the state. Current coach Jared Bednar, he writes, shouldn’t be retained only out of pity. Montgomery is the “real deal” according to Kiszla and should be strongly considered if the Avs are truly looking to improve their fortunes.
  • The Blues got a huge addition before their game with Minnesota when Paul Stastny returned to action for a crucial game five tilt writes Sportsnet’s Josh Gold-Smith. The Blues have a chance to take out the Wild in five games and rest for the next round.  Stastny was slotted in with Vladimir Tarasenko and Jayden Schwartz. As of the writing, Stastny was on the ice for Tarasenko’s opening goal.

Central Notes: Blackhawks, Bednar, Sakic, Belfour

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The Chicago Blackhawks are seeing an increase in their performance thanks to better puck possession writes the Chicago Tribune’s Chris Hine. Aside from the metrics, where the Hawks are dominating opponents in five-on-five, but Hine is quick to point out that the puck possession is nothing near what the Hawks posted during their Cup runs in 2010, 2013, and 2015, where they were first, fourth, and second respectively. They’ve been twelfth since the beginning of February in Corsi percentage, and thirteenth for the season. While players are also feeling more comfort as the playoffs loom, advanced stats mavens will be quick to point out that it’s a far cry from Chicago’s championship-caliber seasons.

In other Central Division news:

  • Jared Bednar is expected to return to the Avalanche next season reports the Denver Post’s Terry Frei. Bednar is quoted as saying that the franchise is “working toward something” instead of it just being a one off “horrific” season. No one would blame Bednar for wanting to walk away from a job that Patrick Roy all but ran away from. In the same vein, would it be fair to fire the first year coach? Frei points out that the Avs are on pace to be the worst statistical team since the Atlanta Thrashers back in 1999-2000, when the Thrashers were an expansion team. Frei adds that dumping Bednar during what has felt like a “Groundhog Day” season would be unfair and ultimately unlikely since Joe Sakic should also be back. Frei sees Sakic giving Bednar a second season. But Frei stops himself there, noting though every question about Bednar’s job status to Sakic has yielded a response of Bednar’s job security being certain, Frei says that nothing is ever for certain. Reflecting on a long career covering hockey, Frei states that sometimes even the most “sincerely stated plans can go out the window.”
  • Former Stars goaltender Eddie Belfour was candid with the Dallas Morning News’ Mike Heika, saying that he believes it takes a great defense in front of a goaltender to truly create a winning formula. Returning for the Stars-Blackhawks game on Thursday at the United Center, Belfour enjoyed several successful seasons with both teams. Both featured strong defenses and appeared in a Stanley Cup Final and won a Cup respectively. For Belfour, it’s a no brainer: a great goalie is buoyed by a greater defense.

Declining Greatness: The Case For Jarome Iginla

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A few weeks ago Zach Leach profiled one of the greatest goal scorers in NHL history, Jarome Iginla. He started the piece by saying that Iginla was “a legend with very bad luck” and though he was talking about Iginla’s career, and how close (but yet so far) he has come on several occasions to being in the right place at the right time, he could have easily meant something else that teams should consider when looking at the 618-goal man this trade deadline.

No, it’s not his age—the fact that he’ll turn 40 this July is something everyone should be aware of, but not what this piece will be about. Not his cap hit either; the $5.33MM number is a tough pill to swallow for sure, but at least it expires at the end of the year. It’s his shooting percentage. Sure, Iginla might be a step slower than he has been in the past, and perhaps this legend is ready to ride off into the sunset. It’s just that there may be something left in the tank. Jarome Iginla

First of all, he’s playing on Colorado which has been a deathtrap for offensive players all season. Whether it’s the coaching of Jared Bednar, the horrible possession metrics almost everyone has put up, or some toxic attitude leaking down from the front office, nearly everyone has been underperforming. Matt Duchene is on a 52 point pace, which would be the lowest he’s recorded for a season where he played more than 70 games. Gabriel Landeskog may not crack 40, well below his career average. Even Nathan MacKinnon, who is currently leading the team in scoring doesn’t look like he’ll improve much on his 52 point effort from a year ago, in which he played only 72 games.

Iginla is right there along with them, scoring just 16 points in 58 games. But what do you expect from a guy who has lined up beside John Mitchell and Blake Comeau for most of the season, a duo that has a combined point total of 15. He’s also been given the least amount of icetime of his career, playing just 14:45 per night. Perhaps this is just because he’s no good anymore, but there may be a silver lining.

Yes, that’s the shooting percentage which currently sits at 6.1%, less than half of his career rate. He’s still generating shots, with 114 on the year but just nothing is going in for him. He’s on pace to almost match the shot total from each of the last two years, when he had 29 and 22 goals respectively, and doing it with much worse linemates. No, he’ll never be a defensive presence that drives possession, but he can be a goal scoring threat even at his advanced age. If he sat at his career shooting percentage we’d be talking about a 15-goal scorer instead, despite Mitchell and Comeau still being alongside him.

Playoff experience can’t exactly be quantified, but anecdotally the game slows down in the postseason. When the whistles are put away, a bit more obstruction takes place and physical goal scoring threats are extremely important. Iginla has scored 37 playoff goals in just 81 games, a better per-game pace than Sidney Crosby. It’s not that he’ll continue to be a legendary goal scoring threat, just that he may still be a fine secondary option for a team looking for some depth on the wing. He won’t cost much, and he might just get that one last chance at a Stanley Cup.

Avalanche Update: Bourque, Martin, Barrie

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The Colorado Avalanche released a flurry of roster updates this evening that are detailed below:

  • Injured forward Rene Bourque may return during the Avalanche’s current road trip. Bourque is day-to-day with a head injury. The fiery forward has 9G and 4A in 43 games, and zero points since the start of the new year. Bourque is having a mild resurgence year, though he hopes to regain his scoring touch as soon as possible.
  • The Avalanche have sent down goaltender Spencer Martin to the San Antonio Rampage for at least this weekend—but coach Jared Bednar says Martin could stay in San Antonio for longer. Martin was sent down to get more playing time as a starter. So far the young goaltender—who is currently only 21—has a .912 SV% and a 2.72 GAA in 28 games. The Avalanche replace Martin with Jeremy Smith, who has a .911 SV% and a 2.57 GAA in 17 AHL games.
  • Defenseman Tyson Barrie is slated to return to the Avalanche’s lineup very soon. Barrie suffered a lower body injury over a week ago. Barrie skated today, but will not suit up tonight against the Pittsburgh Penguins. As the Denver Post’s Mike Chambers points out, Barrie misses his third straight game and seventh in the past nine. It hasn’t been an ideal year for Barrie, who has 3G and 20A in 44 games but a league worst -27.

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