"I think it was a bit of a no-brainer to come back to a place where I've had success, and it didn't go the way we wanted to at the end of the year, but I believe we're a good team and we're not that far off," Barrie said.
The 30-year-old, who was an unrestricted free agent, led NHL defensemen with 48 points (eight goals, 40 assists) in 56 regular-season games and had one assist in four Stanley Cup Playoff games last season.
"Certainly I know he's played with some high-octane superstar players here, but he's another guy that can think at their level and help us have a No. 1 power play," Oilers general manager Ken Holland said.
Selected by the Colorado Avalanche in the third round (No. 64) of the 2009 NHL Draft, Barrie has scored 394 points (88 goals, 306 assists) in 610 regular-season games with the Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Avalanche, and 15 points (one goal, 14 assists) in 30 NHL playoff games.
The Oilers also signed defenseman Cody Ceci to a four-year contract. Financial terms were not disclosed.
The 27-year-old scored 17 points (four goals, 13 assists) in 53 regular-season games and had two assists in six playoff games with the Pittsburgh Penguins last season. Selected by the Ottawa Senators with the No. 15 pick in the 2012 NHL Draft, Ceci has scored 143 points (37 goals, 106 assists) in 549 regular-season games with the Penguins, Maple Leafs and Senators, and six points (one goal, five assists) in 36 NHL playoff games.
"I really believed in the team and the players they have there. They do have a solid chance at the Cup," Ceci said of the Oilers. "I've been bouncing around a little bit on one-year contracts the last couple of years and I was looking at a little bit of term out of this deal. They came up with a four-year deal, and I really liked it and the opportunity to play there."
Also Wednesday, Edmonton signed forward Zach Hyman to a
seven-year contract
and acquired forward Warren Foegele in
a trade
with the Carolina Hurricanes for defenseman Ethan Bear.
Defenseman Duncan Keith was acquired by Edmonton with forward
Tim Soderlund
in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks on July 12 for defenseman Caleb Jones and a conditional third-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. Defenseman Adam Larsson was claimed by the Seattle Kraken from the Oilers in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft on July 21 and signed to a four-year contract.
