Lets Go Blues
Joined: Jun. 2016
Posts: 6,774
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I think Barbashev has the tools to be a middle 6 center in the NHL.
1. Last year he came up due to injuries and played a hard-nosed, two-way 4C role until he was eventually moved up for a little more ice time (and even got a couple playoff games centering Schwartz and Tarasenko, again due to injuries more than his showing). I haven't seen much 'Russian style' to his game - more of a North American player. He's good positionally on defense with an active stick and he's strong on the puck. Didn't get to see his release often enough to tell, but I think he can shoot it if he has some space. Pass first though.
2. Ceiling depends largely on the role he is assigned... I'll just say 40-50 pts for now. I've seen scouting reports that say he's a pure sniper, but I haven't seen that part of his game yet.
3. Yes, I bet he'll center the 3rd line since Berglund is out until Dec-Jan. Stastny, Schenn, and Fabbri are currently projected for 1C-3C, but I have a feeling one or both of Fabbri/Schenn will end up on the wing again. Even if Barbashev doesn't win the 3C job, he should eventually get an opportunity to play due to injuries, and I doubt he'll give mgmt a reason to send him back down once he gets a shot. He seems NHL-ready to me.
4. Comparables are hard because I'm not sure of his ceiling (and I'm sure I'm over-hyped for him), but his IQ and toughness on the puck combined with good offensive skills reminds me of a lesser Bo Horvat or a smaller Anisimov.
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