I think this trade just makes a lot of sense. Most big deals are seldom fair, there is usually just too much going on to not like it better for one team than another, but I think this is pretty bang on.

Nasville is fully committed to a tear down and rebuild, and getting out from under a contract that might not age well while getting a 1st without big retention is a pretty nice piece of work. You take a cap dump in Barrie, but if they are committed to the tear down, he can likely be flipped in the offseason or next deadline with money retained and get an additional asset. Barrie isn't worth his current salary, but some team will likely be willing to give up a little something for a power play specialist of Barrie's calibre if he only cost half as much, and if it was his final year on his deal.

Edmonton gets the exact type of defensemen they need. Their window isn't necessarily closing, but if they don't show McDavid they are serious, I think there is a real risk that he won't re-sign, and with how wide open the west is, this is as good a year to go for it. Ekholm's contract is probably either fair for his value, or maybe he's a little overpaid, but he's a great fit for their needs, and definitely less overpaid than Barrie is right now.

I really don't think there was more to get if you are Nashville, unless you retain a much larger percentage of his cap hit, so I think this was a creative solution, and I think Edmonton probably got the most cost effective (in terms of assets) trade still available for an impactful D. Win-win.

I don't think so, Ekholm has mostly been healthy his whole career, and has really no concerns health/injury wise. Unless something goes terribly wrong, he should be really good for Edmonton.

He's getting older (strike 1), he's known for his hitting ability (to go with old age; strike 2), he has a high dollar amount with term while being slow (strike 3)

Again, I hope I'm wrong but who knows

I agree but wonder if the Oilers didn't value Schaefer that highly. He really hasn't progressed at all this season.

IMO it's too steep a price but Edmonton is undeniably a better team now and for the next 3 years than they were yesterday.

Ekholm has 62 hits in 57 games this year. If he is "known for his hitting ability" then it's a reputation wholly undeserved.

To put this in Leafs perspective, Rielly has 48 hits in 45 games, basically the same rate. I think you're conflating "being good defensively" with "known for hitting".

Rielly has 48 hits in 45 games???but let me rephrase this... he's been put in shutdown roles on winning teams

Well that take aged like milk haha. Obviously Edmonton couldn't go out and just get Chyrcrun if Arizona was putting so much stock in being able to move him while taking absolutely no salary back, but it must suck if you are Holland and you are feeling decent about yourself for getting Ekholm, then another Canadian team just upstages you within hours haha.

Edmonton traded 2 firsts and a number 4-D for a number 3-D. That is not good asset management

2 firsts is a pretty big stretch, and calling Barrie a "4-D" is pure fiction.

Edmonton had to make a move for a D, full stop, no excuses, they were available and they needed to do something. I think they got one of the more impactful D available. The contract isn't a home run, but Ekholm is still a massive upgrade on Barrie. Edmonton likely couldn't be in on Chycrun in any real way since they needed retention and to move a horrible contract to make this deal function, and Arizona was apparently not interested in retention or taking back even a dollar of contract, so I think they managed to get the 2nd best defender available. I don't think this was a home run for Edmonton, but they absolutely had to trade for a D, because with a wide open West, a secure playoff spot, and McDavid having arguably the greatest season of any player in at least 20+ years, you can't just do nothing with such a glaring need.

I don't think Holland is a great manager, and maybe I'm just a bit more high on this because compared to some of the names they were interested in (Gavrikov, Edmundson) this is a win, but I think this is a reasonable use of those assets for a team that really needs to stop making excuses, otherwise their excuse in a couple of years will be that they "had" to trade McDavid because he wasn't going to re-sign.

Ekholm is a shutdown defenseman, but he's not overly physical. So aging shouldn't be the issue you thought it would be.

I think calling Barrie a 4-D is underrating him. He played 2nd pairing time on ice and put out very good offensive analytics. If we are comparing defense between Barrie and Ekholm then they aren't close but that's not what I was doing here. I think Ekholm was the right choice but this package wasn't the right deal. Especially after seeing what Chychrun and Ghost got.

It does. He needs to be mobile in this day in the NHL. IN 4 years, he'll be 36... if he's still mobile then, props to him but odds are he isn't

Hmmmmm, Tyson Barrie has been worthless until now.

I guess Edmonton didn’t win this trade, huh?

And if Ekholm is the piece that pushed them into the Finals they still lost the trade.

Barrie has been worthless? He's played 1 game relax lmao. I realize you're probably triggered by me saying this, but go ahead and check my profile and see who my 2nd favorite team is. Edmonton was just fine with Barrie and he wasn't the problem. I already said enough about this. This was terrible asset management.

My apologies, it wasn’t directed at you specifically, just a general comment on all the comments I saw on Barrie all season as him having zero value.

You see, he made them better than the Leafs, so....I guess Oilers won

Swapping the 4th round pick for the 6th round pick is what pays for the salary retention.


So, the trade comes down to Mattias Ekholm for Tyson Barrie + two 1st round picks + 1.5 million in cap space until 2024.


This is a fleecing.

Nashville wins the trade.

Update: since this trade Edmonton looks much, much better. Not only has Ekholm vastly outperformed Barrie, but Bouchard has been set free now with a bigger role.

Barrie: 6, 1-1-2, even
Ekholm: 6, 1-2-3, +7
Bouchard: 6, 1-5-6, +3

In a surprise twist, Cody Ceci has also been jumping into the play more, as shown by his 4 points in the past 6 games. More offense wasn't what I was expecting from this trade!

We need a new update..

There are a few clowns that even said the Oilers had no chance of winning the Cup this season! I'm awaiting the final result before i quote them.

But the fact there is a decent chance shows how irresponsible a lot of ppl here will behave with tribalism.
The team is on fire and has to be the favourite at the Western conference title at the least while playing in the weakest division.

Overpay? Right or wrong pieces the other way? Dont matter. Team is now elite.
A win vs the Sharks in finale and a Kights loss to the Kraken on the road means they clinch top spot in the Western conference after at one point being close to outside the playoffs.
This is a ST Louis style 2019 Cup run



Now 17-2-1 with Ekholm

Bro I said in my messages that it was the right trade for them to make, just thought they massively overpaid to get him. Win the cup and it doesn't matter, but still terrible asset management from Holland.

The one issue he causes though is cap space for next year

They got 8.5mill and need to extend Bocuard, Mcleod, Kostin etc. Bouchard will probs eat 4mill on a bridge deal so they got 4.5mill. Mcleod probs eats 1.5mill and Kostin 1.2 mill so that leaves 1.8 mill to sign 2 guys to meet minimum. And if Holloway and McKegg comes up they can do 20 but it will be via 7D

If I was Holland would have fought tooth and nail for more retention. As now he might have to try and dump someone if he wants to have extra guys

Cause if im a team and Holland goes hey can u take Kulak I will go sure gimmie this.

No If or buts as I would say to my little nephew.

Fans and pundits have torched Holland these last few years for not going ALL IN on McDavid and Draisaitl's primes. You cant play revisionist history if they dont win a Cup this year or argue about what ifs. Ekholm was by far their biggest need on the team and Holland addressed it. As the Hawks showed after their 2010 Cup, the Bolts after their cups, cap hell is possible to manage but you do have to pounce in your window.
Their cap was never going to look good next season. Acquiring Ekholm at his price really didn't change much when they dumped Barrie's contract at similar cap hit. Asking for more cap space, yes, it would have been optimal but this trade didn't put them worse off next season when Barrie's salary came off the books. The only thing I did NOT understand was why Nashville wasted a retention spot at so little money retained in the next 3 years beyond this season. Holland did absolutely great here, the questions if you have any should be with David Poile that left Trotz with 1 less retention spot for little reason at all

Holland fumbled the Ekholm trade by not asking for more retention as next year they got cap problems to deal with and Bouchard might price himself out as mentioned 8.5mill and got to extend other guys as well (Kostin, Mcleod, etc.). I would have included a good prospect to go NSH can u retain maybe 40-50%. Sure its looking good now but next year that 6mill (which is 1.5mill more than Barrie) gonna cause headaches.