According to Tyson Barrie, who was ultimately traded for Mattias Ekholm, he was close to being traded for Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson, and was blindsided by the new trade to Nashville.
Given the Oilers need for an upgrade offensively on the blue line, their interest in Karlsson made complete sense, but after no deal went through, it appears everyone was blindsided by the move.
Despite several teams being interested in Karlsson, he ended up staying put at the trade deadline, with the Sharks opting to move him this summer in a package with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Given what the Sharks were asking for Karlsson, it made sense for the Oilers to stay put and not cave in to their demands, but even for a guy as tough as Barrie, it must have been a hard ride knowing that he could be traded at any minute, before ultimately being shocked by a completely different trade to Nashville.
As Read on Oilers Daily - Ex-Oilers Defenseman Barrie Tells All About How Holland Tried to Acquire Erik Karlsson
POLL | ||
29 SEPTEMBRE | 85 ANSWERS Former Oilers Defenseman Reveals He Was Almost Traded For Erik Karlsson Should the Oilers have kept Tyson Barrie? | ||
Yes | 39 | 45.9 % |
No | 46 | 54.1 % |
List of polls |