That’s what some people wanted to see. Not at all what actually happened.
Note how you use the word ‘surpass him easily’. That’s the root of your problem there. You’ve built this kid up so high in your mind based on 100 sheltered games, that you actually find no problem writing Bouchard will ‘easily’ surpass Barrie. Think about what you are writing for a second. Barrie has been one of the premium offensive defensemen of the past ten years. Three 50+ point seasons. Six 40+ point seasons. 700 games and 450 points. That’s 0.64 PPG. And he does it every season.
Barrie is also +9 in Edmonton over almost 150 games. He knows how to run a PP. He knows how to play the minutes the coach asks. He’s the sort of veteran player that you want on your team. Not this board though. They unironically write that Bouchard will ‘easily surpass’ Barrie and Barrie should be traded because … I mean who knows why they think that would be a good idea, ‘moar bouchbombs’ maybe? But any move like that would instantly make this club weaker on both offense and defense since Barrie has been one of the steadier defenders so far this season and on pace to put up 50+ points again.
Prior to Woodcroft I wouldn't trade a ham sandwich for Barrie.
His gap control was more like air craft traffic control. Aka a jumbo jet could easily fly through his "gap" control.
Anyone who thinks Barrie, through the bulk of his career, is a clear cut net positive to his teams because he can put up points... Just doesn't know hockey.
Barrie was run off two teams in his career because his defensive game is so bad even a troglodyte can see he was a net negative. Despite racking up points like a kids racks up Candy at Halloween.
A "premium" offensive defenseman doesn't sign for 4.5 mill multi year deal in today's NHL. That in itself should quash any talk of him being a premium player. Neither he or his agent believe he is worth more than Adam Larsson just as a quick comparable.
Now since Woodcroft I have Barrie better than Bouchard but it's not clear cut in any way shape or form. Last year if Bouchard got PP time we would all be saying "Barrie who?". Even this year it's impossible to predict that Barrie would be better than Bouchard if their PP roles were reversed. That's a huge massive advantage that you are strangely glossing over to proclaim easy minutes for Bouchard.
Last year, with little to no imagination, it's easy to project Bouchard as the better of the two if you reversed their PP roles. And Bouchard's defense, while not good either, was also easy to project being better than Barrie. Because outside of a couple years Barrie is abysmal defensively.
This board has always had a few posters that have just been huge Barrie fanboys. Unable or unwilling to see that through most his career Barrie just isn't that good. Now with Bouchard, practically a rookie, struggling it appears like some are trying you put a strange spin on this situation.
Bouchard was a legit high ranked special prospect when we drafted him. That fell to us in what appeared to be pure luck due to other teams desperatelyneeding centers. He was brought up very slowly despite showing strong even as an 18 year old at the nhl level. Last year he was great for us. This year 20 games into basically his second season he is struggling.
No biggie.
