After going through a bruising — emotionally, at least — salary arbitration hearing last summer, Avalanche defenseman Tyson Barrie said he was hoping to be entrusted to be on the ice more against opposing top lines this season.

It didn’t take having a digital recorder planted in the Toronto room to infer that the Avalanche had raised that issue, but the team and Barrie agreed on a four-year, $22 million deal before the arbitrator hit send on her e-mail ruling.

If there was any doubt that Barrie was part of the Avalanche’s much-cited and much-challenged “core,” that financial commitment ended it, and he’s one of the six players pictured in the signboard display in the Pepsi Center hallway unveiled with the opening of the ice-level Club Lexus. The other five are the other Avalanche players under 30 with cap hits of $5.5 million or more — Matt Duchene, Gabe Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon, Erik Johnson and Semyon Varlamov.

Now, 20 games into the 2016-17 season, Barrie has two goals and seven assists, is averaging nearly 23 minutes of ice time and is a minus-7, tied with Nikita Zadorov for the worst number among the seven Colorado defensemen. Barrie is counted on to contribute more offensively than that, but he also has been out against top lines more often than in the past. In recent games, he has been in an even-strength tandem with Patrick Wiercioch.

“I think he’s worked really hard at his overall game, his defensive game,” first-year Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said Monday. “I think he’s been really committed at it and has improved at it.”

There’s one thing Barrie can’t change, unless he hits the weight room as if he were a linebacker. At 5-foot-10, 190 pounds, he’s an undersized defenseman and never will be a bulldozer at the defensive end of the ice.

“I feel like I’ve played well,” Barrie said after practice. “There are obviously things where I’d like to contribute more, but that comes with the team, and I think we’re starting to go a little bit, starting to score some more goals.” Related Articles November 28, 2016 Illness hits a second Colorado Avalanche player, this time Erik Johnson

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Barrie had only one goal in his first 20 games last season and finished with 13, tying his career high. Goal-scoring is just part of the evaluation, even for a defenseman counted on to generate offense and play the point on the first power-play unit.

“My job is to create offensively, but I play a lot of minutes and I play against top lines, so I have to have a full, well-rounded game,” Barrie said. “If I play well defensively, that usually comes with it. They’re using me in all situations, and I’m getting more comfortable with it. Being a smaller guy, it’s something I always have to work on. But I’m enjoying it. It’s a good challenge.”

Against Nashville on Tuesday, the first power-play unit will have Barrie and Jarome Iginla on the points, with Matt Duchene, Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen up front. The Avalanche is 20th in the league on the power play, at 15.6 percent, heading into the NHL’s Monday night games.

Barrie said of playing with Iginla, who usually drifts to the top of the left circle: “Last two years, we’ve had some success with me sliding it over and him using the big one-timer. He’s got a great shot. The thing is getting him his looks when you can, and I have to be a threat to shoot as well.”

NASHVILLE AT COLORADO, Tuesday, 7 p.m., ALT, 950 AM

Spotlight on: Predators D P.K. Subban

Traded from Montreal to the Predators in the blockbuster off-season deal that sent Shea Weber to the Canadiens, Subban is one of the producers of a documentary about him, “Skate Past the Noise.” The film debuted on HBO Canada on Nov. 18. “I’ve had to watch it like 70 times, being a producer on it and having to give feedback and all that stuff,” he told reporters in Toronto recently. “But, you know what, it was exciting to do over the off-season and I think it’s really educational.”

Predators: Craig Smith had two goals as Nashville drilled the Avalanche 5-1 in Denver on Nov. 1 … That was the start of what so far is a 8-3-2 November for the Predators after a slow start … The Predators opened a two-game trip with a 3-0 loss at Winnipeg Sunday … In 11 November starts, goalie Pekka Rinne has a 1.35 goals-against average.

Avalanche: Although Semyon Varlamov has recovered from a wrist injury and will be able to suit up, Calvin Pickard will get his second straight start in the Colorado net … Defenseman Erik Johnson missed Monday’s practice because of illness (inner body injury?), but he’s expected to be able to play. Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said Johnson probably had the same bug that kept Rene Bourque out of practice last Friday … Captain Gabe Landeskog will miss his sixth consecutive game with a lower body injury. “He’s still considered day-to-day for me,” Bednar said. “He’s having good days and bad days right now.” … Nathan MacKinnon was back at practice Monday after not skating Sunday, when the Avs said he was taking a maintenance day. He lost an edge and slid into the end boards in the second period against Vancouver Saturday, but played the rest of the game. “I’m a little tight,” he said Monday. “But honestly, I thought it would be worse. I thought I’d be more locked up. But I feel pretty good. I hit most of my lower back and my neck was a little sore. Actually my abs are a little sore from clenching. It’s a little weird.” … The Avalanche will not have a morning skate Tuesday, but will have a 10 a.m. team meeting at the Pepsi Center. … In a trade of AHL defensemen, the Avalanche acquired Cody Goloubef from the Columbus organization for Ryan Stanton. Goloubef had been playing for the Cleveland Monsters, and was on the Bednar-coached AHL championship Monsters team last season. He will join the San Antonio Rampage.