Since the day he signed with the Calgary Flames, Tyson Barrie has known that he was going to need to be patient.
And then, when his opportunities do arrive on the Flames’ blue-line, it was about taking advantage of them.
Based on the defensive pairings that were practising at WinSport on Friday, Barrie will be back in the lineup on Saturday night when the Flames take on the Kraken in Seattle.
So what does “taking advantage of the opportunity” look like, exactly, for a 33-year-old defenceman who has 810 NHL games under his belt?
“We’re not reinventing the wheel,” Barrie explained. “Just come in and be solid defensively and jump in on the play and join the rush and try to create a little offence and then, when you get some power-plays, create some momentum.”
At Friday’s practice, Barrie was paired with Mackenzie Weegar in place of Daniil Miromanov.
Barrie will be on the power-play, for sure, and it will be curious to see whether an especially good game keeps him in the lineup.
The Flames like their defensive depth, and the offensive productivity their blue-line has managed is a big part of why they’re sitting at 4-0-0 so far this season.
Barrie can definitely help there.
Blue-line depth sparks competition
The power-play wasn’t at its best in Tuesday’s 3-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks, so he should provide a boost when the Flames have the man-advantage. This is a guy with 109 goals and 396 assists to his name in his NHL career, after all.
“We do feel like we have eight defencemen who are all capable of playing, which I like because it’s competition where it forces the guys to be at their best,” said Flames head coach Ryan Huska. “If Tyson does come in tomorrow, I know what we’re going to get from him and I have a feeling I know what we’re going to get from the other five guys, as well.
“He’s mature, he understands how to play the game, I think that’s one thing for sure, and we all know he has a special skill set, he helps the power-play, however that may be. Whether that’s bringing the puck up the ice or moving it around in the offensive zone, that’s one of his strengths and we want to make sure we try to take advantage of that, for sure.”
Barrie did play in Sunday’s 4-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers, so it’s not as if he’s been an afterthought early in the season. But nobody likes watching games from the pressbox.
Barrie wants to play. He knows he’s got to be patient and certainly isn’t complaining, but he definitely wants to be out there contributing.
“It’s something I’ve been through now, so I’m comfortable with it,” Barrie said. “Communication’s been great and they’ve been keeping me in the loop, so just trying to work hard and stay ready for the chance and it’s a lot of fun when the team’s winning, too. Maybe if we were 0-4 it would be a little more frustrating, but guys are rolling good right now and I think it’ll be a fun one.”