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Jack Dempsey/Associated Press

What He's Done: In his third pro season, Tyson Barrie became a powerful force on the Colorado Avalanche blue line with 13 goals in 64 games, tying him for ninth among all defensemen, per NHL.com.

Though Barrie's undersized at 5'10", he also took care of the defensive side of his game, posting a plus-17 rating.

What's Holding Him Back: Now that his entry-level deal has expired, Barrie is a man without a contract as a restricted free agent, per CapGeek.com. After a difficult negotiation with forward Ryan O'Reilly, Colorado VP of hockey operations Joe Sakic said, "I'm very confident we'll get something done with Tyson," per Adrian Dater of the Denver Post.

Barrie's future was also in question after a torn MCL suffered during the Avalanche's playoff series against the Minnesota Wild. At a July alumni golf tournament for his junior team, the Kelowna Rockets, Larry Fisher of the Kelowna Daily Courier reports that Barrie is "equal parts happy and relieved to reveal he’s fully recovered from a knee injury that brought an early end to his — and, consequently, Colorado’s — playoff run this spring."

What to Expect in 2014-15: Barrie's season got better as it went along in 2013-14. He was assigned to the AHL Lake Erie Monsters for six games in November but made the most of his opportunity once he was recalled by Colorado.

He's one of many Avs who thrived under first-year coach Patrick Roy. Barrie should take another step forward to becoming one of the league's best offensive defensemen.