Former Leafs blueliner opens up about his tumultuous relationship with Mike Babcock
When the Leafs traded Nazem Kadri to Colorado after another playoff suspension that played a role in their second straight playoff defeat courtesy of the Boston Bruins, the Leafs acquired Alexander Kerfoot and Tyson Barrie in an attempt to shore up their blueline.
Unfortunately, from the moment he joined the Leafs, Barrie was in Mike Babcock's dog house. "First phone call. It's July 1. I'm still trying to pick up the pieces. I'm still figuring out what's going on. And he's like, 'Happy to have ya, but we've got a lot to work on with ya.' Like, it's July 1st. Let me know when I miss my boxout or whatever." Barrie recalled during an interview with Spittin' Chiclets.
In Barrie's first 23 games as a Leaf and his only 23 games under Babcock, he registered just 7 assists and didn't find his groove until Sheldon Keefe came in midway through November. "Laid an absolute egg my first 20 games. Apologize to Leafs faithful for that. But I definitely picked up once Keefer came in."
Barrie went on to say that because Babcock liked Naz [Kadri] as a player and that he wasn't sure if he was the guy that Babcock would have wanted, he and Babcock got into a handful of heated exchanges.
Since his tenure in Toronto ended after one season, Barrie has been playing much better offensively in Edmonton now that he has a defined role and all he has to do is give the puck to Connor McDavid. He is on pace this season to surpass his career high of 59 points this season as he already has 32 through 48 games.
