The Edmonton Oilers’ defense looks very different than it did a week ago. After Philip Broberg surprisingly received an offer from the St. Louis Blues – a contract that the front office did not accept – Cody Ceci was sent to the San Jose Sharks shortly thereafter.

And that means two players who played a key role in the Oilers’ thrilling march to the Stanley Cup Final are no longer part of the equation. Daily Faceoff currently projects Josh Brown and Ty Emberson as the team’s third pair, the latter of which was added as part of the trade that sent Ceci to California.

That probably won’t be enough for a team that’s still firmly in Stanley Cup or bust territory in 2025, and there are rumors that the team could sign a defenseman on a tryout basis. The right side of the Oilers defense looks much weaker without Broberg and Ceci, and according to Puck Pedia, the team still has just under $1 million in salary cap to work with.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if (the Oilers) are discussing internally whether or not they need to add another potential puck mover – and if so, probably a right-handed shooter (I don’t know if they’ll do anything or not),” Oilers co-commentator Bob Stauffer said on the What Chaos! podcast earlier this week.

A very likely candidate for this PTO is former Oiler Tyson Barrie, who is currently an unrestricted free agent.

Is a return of Tyson Barrie possible?

“The Oilers are keeping their options open for PTOs, but have already had discussions with Tyson Barrie,” TSN 1260’s Dustin Nielson reported Wednesday. “They’re excited about him. Does he fit on the ice given the current blue line setup?”

Barrie is coming off a disappointing season with the Nashville Predators. The offensive defenseman managed just 15 points in 41 games and was cut by the Preds in early December. It’s almost certain that Barrie won’t return to Smashville, but what about the club he played nearly three full seasons with from 2020-22?

Barrie was originally on the other end of the trade package that sent Mattias Ekholm to Alberta. If Edmonton goes that route, it gives the team a lot more flexibility to use Brett Kulak and Darnell Nurse.

Kulak and Barrie formed a viable third pair together, and that could be the case again if Barrie gets another chance with the franchise. It’s looking more and more likely that Barrie will at least get a tryout, but if the front office goes a different route, they could look at veterans Justin Schultz or Kevin Shattenkirk instead.

Unless the Oilers believe their current defensive core can handle the task by next year’s trade deadline, at least one defenseman will join the team in an effort to return to the Stanley Cup Final in 2025.

Colin Gallant is the senior NHL editor at ClutchPoints. In addition to hockey, he also covers the NFL, MLB and tennis. A native of Hamilton, Ontario, he holds a master’s degree in journalism from Western University and previously wrote for CBC News, The Hockey News and Tennis Canada.