Cam Barker Cameron Barker ( born April 4 , 1986 ) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) . He was selected third overall in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft by the Chicago Blackhawks and spent four seasons with the club before being traded to the Wild in 2010 . Internationally , Barker has won back - to - back gold medals at the 2005 and 2006 World Junior Championships . Playing career . Barker grew up playing minor hockey in the Winnipeg area and played AAA Midget Hockey for the Winnipeg Thrashers at age 14 . After that season he was drafted 4th overall in the 2004 WHL Bantam Draft by the Medicine Hat Tigers . The following season , Barker moved east to play for the Cornwall ( ON ) Colts Jr . A . club of the Central Junior Hockey League ( CJHL ) before signing with the Tigers at the end of the same 2001 - 02 season . Barker began his junior hockey career in 2001 – 02 with the Medicine Hat Tigers of the Western Hockey League ( WHL ) , appearing in three games . The following season , he led his team in scoring among defencemen with 47 points and was named to the WHL All - Rookie Team . He improved to a junior career - high 65 points in 60 games in 2003 – 04 , leading the Tigers to a President ' s Cup championship . As WHL champions , they earned a berth in the 2004 Memorial Cup , however , Medicine Hat was defeated by the Gatineau Olympiques in the semi - final . He was drafted third overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft and was signed to an entry - level contract by Chicago on August 22 , 2005 . He made the Blackhawks opening roster out of training camp in 2005 – 06 and made his NHL debut against the Colorado Avalanche , but was returned after one game to Medicine Hat , where he completed the season with 18 points in 26 games . Barker began the 2006 – 07 season injured , having undergone ankle surgery in September . After recovering , he joined the Norfolk Admirals , Chicago ' s American Hockey League ( AHL ) affiliate , making his Norfolk debut on November 3 , 2006 . He recorded his first professional point on November 21 against the Manchester Monarchs , assisting on the game - winning overtime goal . A few games later , he scored his first professional goal on November 29 against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers in a 6 – 3 loss . Later in the season , he was called up by the Blackhawks and scored his first NHL goal on January 14 , 2007 against the Minnesota Wild . He finished his rookie season playing in 35 games with Chicago and recording 8 points . Despite finishing his rookie season with the Blackhawks , he was re - assigned to the AHL to begin 2007 – 08 . Joining the Rockford IceHogs in their inaugural AHL season ( the team previously played in the United Hockey League ) , he assisted on the first ever goal in IceHogs AHL history on October 6 , 2007 against the Quad City Flames . Barker had been selected to play at the 2008 AHL All - Star Classic , but did not attend as he was once again recalled by the Blackhawks . In his second stint with the Blackhawks , he improved to six goals and 18 points in 45 games . Barker did not make the Blackhawks cut for the start of the 2008 – 09 season and was assigned once again to Rockford . With the Blackhawks just under the salary cap , Barker ' s $ 2 . 8 million cap hit would have put them over the limit . However , general manager Dale Tallon asserted that Barker ' s demotion was not based on salary cap considerations . After 7 games with Rockford , he was called up by the Blackhawks and remained with the team . Barker finished the season six goals , 34 assists , and a plus - minus of - 6 . With Barker becoming a restricted free agent in the off - season , the NHL Players Association filed a grievance on July 6 , 2009 , against the Blackhawks on Barker ' s behalf for not extending a qualifying offer by the required deadline . As such , the NHLPA argued that Barker ( as well as five other Blackhawks players in the same situation ) qualified as an unrestricted free agent and could entertain offers from other teams around the league . The Blackhawks quickly came to terms with Barker the same day , re - signing him to a three - year contract worth US $ 9 . 25 million . On February 12 , 2010 , Barker was traded to the Minnesota Wild for defenceman Kim Johnsson and defensive prospect Nick Leddy . He was placed on waivers by Minnesota on June 28 , 2011 , with the intention of buying out his contract . He signed a one - year contract worth $ 2 . 25 million with the Edmonton Oilers on July 1 , 2011 . International play . Barker was a part of Team Canada ' s gold medal winning team at the 2005 World Junior Championships . However , he contracted mononucleosis mid - way through the tournament and was only able to appear in the first 3 games . Barker made his second straight World Junior appearance in 2006 as the only returning player on Team Canada ' s roster . He repeated as gold medal champion with Team Canada , defeating Russia in the final .