The Colorado Avalanche avoided salary arbitration with defenseman Tyson Barrie when the two sides agreed on a $22-million contract before the Friday, July 29 arbitration settlement was to be announced, Terry Frei of the Denver Post reported.
According to Frei, the deal spans four years and begins with a $5 million value in year one, capping out at $6 million in year four. The two sides met on Friday for the hearing and arbitrator Elizabeth Neumeier was to issue her decision within 48 hours. The two sides agreed to terms Sunday morning.
That rate falls right in line with what MHS Avalanche writer Andrew Demo predicted for Barrie in the days leading up to arbitration hearing. Demo compared similar defensemen and their contracts and came up with a $5.292-million approximate value, saying he’d cap out a deal at $6 million.
Barrie was Colorado’s leading defensive scorer in 2015-16, but he also registered its second-worst plus/minus amongst defensemen at -16. Only Erik Johnson registered a worse number for defensemen at -19.
Barries defensive partner, Nick Holden, was traded to New York in the offseason.
