St. Louis Blues May Be Better Off Without Ivan Barbashev

The St. Louis Blues and Ivan Barbashev seem to be at an impasse in their contract negotiations, but the Blues might be able to offer other opportunities if they are unable to retain the forward.

The St. Louis Blues do not have much cap space remaining, according to CapFriendly, St. Louis has around $1.9 million remaining to resign Ivan Barbashev and the Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford reports that the RFA has options overseas.

If Barbashev is asking for more than the $1.9 million the Blues have left in their cap, then St. Louis should not be quick to make moves allowing him to sign a big contract.

Even though Barbashev was an important piece to the Blues championship run, there is no reason for the team to handicap themselves with a bad contract to the 23-year-old.

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The Russian forward had a hard time finding the back of the net in his first two seasons as a pro. In his first two seasons, Barbahsev combined to score 12 goals in 83 games.

In the 2018-19 season, Barbashev appeared in 80 games for St. Louis, netting 14 goals and 12 assists.

He seemed to find his scoring touch last season, and his offense was not the only element of his game to improve.

Barbashev, along with Oskar Sundqvist, were a dynamic duo on the fourth line and the penalty kill a year ago. For the first time in years, the Blues had four lines they could roll out in almost any situation, and his time on ice reflected that fact.

While he did not set a career-high with TOI last season, Barbashev still managed to play in 11:31 of games in 2019. Injuries plagued the young forward’s first two seasons, resulting in a higher average of TOI earlier in his career.

Barbashev’s 12 goals can be replaced. St. Louis has a ton of forward depth they can select from if the team cannot come to terms with the 23-year-old.

Robby Fabbri, Zach Sanford, and Mackenzie MacEachern were all healthy scratches last season for extended periods of time.

The Blues gave Fabbri plenty of opportunities to work his way back into the lineup on a regular basis last season, but failed to produce regularly. He only played in 32 games for St. Louis and contributed just two goals and four assists.

Another offseason to recover may allow Fabbri to get back to his offensive potential, but given the decision between Fabbri and Barbashev, I’m choosing Barbashev to start the season.

Sanford found his groove at random times throughout the season that seemed to last only a few weeks. When he was in the lineup and playing well, Sanford was playing with Ryan O’Reilly and David Perron.

With his performance in the postseason, it’s probably unfair to say that Sanford is a candidate to be a healthy scratch to begin the new season. If I had to make a lineup right now, he would be penciled in on the second line with O’Reilly and Perron.

MacEachern is an intriguing candidate to play on the fourth line if Barbashev doesn’t come back. The rookie signed a one-year, one-way extension in the middle of last season, and will likely earn a roster spot out of training camp.

MacEachern garnered playing time in just 29 games for the Blues in his rookie campaign, and he was able to net three goals and two assists.

What’s intriguing about MacEachern is his style of play, which is very similar to Sammy Blais. MacEachern is a very physical player that demonstrated some offensive finesse in his limited time in the NHL.

The 24-year-old recorded 49 hits in his 29 games wearing the Note, and his physical presence could be a welcome addition to a fourth line that will feature Alex Steen and Sundqvist.

Next. What Can We Expect From Barbashev In 2020. dark

The Blues are in a salary crunch, and if Barbashev signing a big deal leads to a trade of a major player, then St. Louis may be better off without him. However, if they are able to lock in Barbashev at a reasonable rate, there is no reason to think he can’t be even more productive in 2020.

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