The Calgary Flames are expected to place veteran defenseman Tyson Barrie on waivers Thursday, reports Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli.
Through 13 appearances with the Flames this season, Barrie has notched one goal and two assists for three points coupled with four penalty minutes and a minus-seven rating. In late January, Barrie was assigned to the AHL affiliated Calgary Wranglers on a conditioning assignment where through two outings he scored once and added a pair of assists for three points.
A veteran of 822 career contests counting stops with the Colorado Avalanche, Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, Nashville Predators, and Flames, Barrie has registered 110 goals and 398 assists for 508 points. With the Predators last season, the 33-year-old native of Victoria, B.C., put up 15 points counting one goal and 14 assists through 41 appearances. On three occasions, Barrie has reached the 50-point plateau, including a career-high 59-point finish counting 14 goals and 45 assists through 78 games with the Avalanche in 2018-19. Barrie was originally chosen 64th overall by Colorado in the 2009 NHL Draft.
In October, Barrie signed a one-year, $1.25-million deal with Calgary following a successful showing in training camp while on a professional tryout offer. Barrie is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent in July.
A graduate of the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets, Barrie was a dynamic offensive rearguard in the junior ranks where through five seasons and 256 total appearances he racked up 51 goals and 177 assists for 228 points. In 2009-10, he was presented with the Bill Hunter Trophy as the WHL’s Defenseman of the Year.
For the Flames, the club sits 26-21-8 on the season and three points shy of the Pacific Division rival Vancouver Canucks for the second wildcard seed in the Western Conference. Following the conclusion of the 4 Nations Face-Off, the Flames will return to the ice Sunday against the San Jose Sharks. The Flames have qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs once in the past four years.
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New York Rangers forward Matt Rempe joined a few NHL players, including New Jersey Devils defenseman Brett Pesce, in a supposedly friendly hockey game on Friday in Connecticut. Although the event was supposed to be just about skating for a good cause, Rempe found a way to make headlines for the opposite reason, as he nearly flattened Pesce during an offseason charity game. At the “Shoulder Check Showcase” in Stamford, Connecticut, Rempe drew attention when he locked in on the Devils defenseman and tried to deliver a high-speed check into the boards. Pesce narrowly avoided contact, dodging what could have been a serious hit in a game meant for fun, not full contact or suffering potential season-altering injuries. Pesce, who was wearing the Devils logo on his shoulder, might have flipped a switch for Rempe, who reacted instinctively despite the event’s nonprofit and non-competitive nature. That's because of the lingering tensions between the Rangers' enforcer and the Devils that track back to Rempe's rookie season in New York. The animosity started when Rempe completed a high hit on Devils player Nathan Bastian, and later escalated further during a line brawl in March, where Rempe was one of 10 players ejected two seconds into the game. The brawl got started when Rempe challenged the Devils' Kurtis MacDermid after previously knocking Jonas Siegenthaler out with a high elbow that led to a four-game suspension earlier in the season. The 23-year-old Rangers forward has yet to find an established role in New York, having played just 17 and 42 regular-season games for the franchise in the past two seasons. The Rangers must have liked Rempe's skill set, however, as they recently signed the enforcer to a two-year, $1.95 million extension.
New York Yankees star Aaron Judge missed Saturday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies with an elbow injury, and the slugger is now headed to the injured list. The Yankees fell 9-4 to the Phillies on Saturday at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, N.Y., which marked their third consecutive loss. Judge played in Friday night's 12-5 loss to Philadelphia, but Aaron Boone announced before Saturday's game that Judge was dealing with an "elbow issue" and would sit out. Following his team's latest loss, Boone shared some new information about Judge's injury. Judge has been diagnosed with a flexor strain, but the Yankees believe he can return in less than two weeks. When Judge returns to the lineup, Boone said it will initially be as a designated hitter. Judge is having an outstanding season. He entered Saturday batting .342, which is the best mark in baseball. The reigning American League MVP has 37 home runs, 85 RBI and a 1.160 OPS. The Yankees are now six games behind the AL East-leading Toronto Blue Jays and fighting to remain atop the wild-card race. It goes without saying that they are hopeful Judge will be able to return as soon as possible.
The Arizona Diamondbacks have plenty of suitors for third baseman Eugenio Suarez. A new team has reportedly entered the market for his services. Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the Phillies have reached out regarding Suarez. While Lauber did not provide any indication as to whether or not those talks have gained traction, the Phillies are an intriguing suitor for the Diamondbacks' third baseman. The Phillies' interest may be a recent development. Jon Heyman of the New York Post speculated on Friday that the Phillies could emerge as a suitor in the wake of third baseman Alec Bohm landing on the injured list with a fractured left rib. Suarez is in the midst of what is arguably his best season thus far. He has produced a .249/.321/.587 batting line in 421 plate appearances entering Saturday with 36 homers and a major league-leading 87 RBI. Suarez would be more than just another powerful bat in the lineup. Designated hitter Kyle Schwarber and first baseman Bryce Harper are both left-handed hitters — adding Suarez would provide more balance in the batting order. He would also provide a counter against opposing managers bringing in a lefty reliever to face Schwarber and Harper. The biggest question would be how the Phillies would handle an eventual logjam on the roster. Bohm is expected to return from the IL in mid-August and would not have a clear path to regular at-bats if Suarez were acquired. Schwarber could theoretically return to left field to open up playing time at the DH spot, but his outfield defense is mediocre at best. However, as the Phillies are also looking to upgrade the outfield, where Max Kepler and Brandon Marsh have been disappointments, adding Suarez could solve several problems in one fell swoop.
Aaron Rodgers made his practice debut for the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday, and it was not necessarily a moment he will want to remember. Rodgers’ very first pass was intercepted by linebacker Patrick Queen. The quarterback was trying to find top target DK Metcalf on a curl route, but was not quite accurate enough. Rodgers will not lose any sleep over this. It is not the first interception he has thrown in a practice session and it will not be the last. It did make for some amusing viewing for critics, though, and even some Steelers fans got a chuckle out of it. The Steelers are hoping Rodgers can lift them to at least a playoff win in 2025. If he succeeds, he is in line for a pretty big payday, and might even be able to go out on a high note if this is in fact his final NFL season. The other bright side to Rodgers’ inauspicious start to his Pittsburgh career? It will probably make Giants rookie Jaxson Dart feel a little bit better about his own first pass.
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