Tyson Barrie had been in trade rumors for a long time. They picked up again recently after initial contract extension discussions made it clear that there wasn’t going to be a fit with the Colorado Avalanche. Couple that with the unmatched depth at right-handed defense in the Avalanche pipeline and Barrie was a luxury the Avs couldn’t afford.
So, they traded him to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for Nazem Kadri. Also in the deal was Alexander Kerfoot — the C/LW that Kadri is meant to be the massive upgrade over — heading to Toronto, and Calle Rosen coming to Colorado.