C Ivan Barbashev (2014, 33rd, STL)
- Thread starter WildcatMapleLeafs28
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Ynnek
Registered User
He picked up right where he left off last year. Predictably, hes even better and is visibly improving week to week. Moncton is a pretty good team but without him they'd sink. He plays all situations in whatever position he is needed in. He has a highly NHL-translatable game and is so coachable. He's a coach's dream.
He may very well be one of the NHL's best utility men when all is said and done. St Louis got a beauty and 20+ teams should be kicking themselves right now.
91Stammer*
Registered User
Good game. Thanks for the high lights. I will never forget the day he was drafted, I had this kid listed at 20 and for some reasons no one picked him up till 33. I saw the kid heart broken when he was being interviewed, he said "May be I am not good enough to go in the 1st round." St. Louis got a great kid for them, he is a heart and soul player. 
Thanks for the info. Your description of his game fits with how scouts described him last year - all around player, physical, sound defensively, can score. So I am still curious as to why he fell out of the 1st round. I heard there were questions as to whether his offense will translate to the pros, but given his all around game and being a very coachable player, he seems like a decent bet to be a 3rd liner with 2nd line upside. Perhaps there was a "Russian" factor? He says all the right things and appears to have a great, humble attitude (kind of like Tarasenko).
OilTastic
Embrace The Hate
Zaddy
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- Feb 8, 2013
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Thought he would for sure be gone in the 15-20 range. The Blues seem to be lucky (or smart) to get their hands on these kinds of players. Just like Tarasenko and Schwartz are lighting it up now, Barbashev will be a very useful player for them down the road.
OilTastic
Embrace The Hate
Zaddy
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Believe he is still playing center based on the highlights. Taking lots of faceoffs every game as well.
biturbo19
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- Jul 13, 2010
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Think a lot of people were very shocked that he wasn't gone in that range.
The Blues have done a nice job with some of these recent 2nd round pick types and Barbashev certainly looks like a steal right now to add to the collection.
I still feel like Barbashev reminds me of a Chris Higgins type. A hard worker and responsible two-way guy who does good work in the corners, and in spurts could rack up some points. But i do think that's what scared a lot of teams off. Doesn't necessarily seem to have any one elite standout skillset. Is that a player you draft with a 1st rounder in a draft with that sort of depth? Some might...odds are good he'll be better than a number of guys drafted before him i think. But i think for a lot of teams it came down to swinging for the home run vs bunting. You're happy if you get a Chris Higgins out of the 1st round...but you're happier if you get more.
Combine that with the "Russian factor", however small it may be with Barbashev, having been in NA for as long as he has and playing a decidedly "north american" style game...and i think that's how you get Barbashev falling as far as he did.
At least, that's my take on it.
Still ticked tge Sabres didn't draft him. The only thing Tim Murray has done wrong since he came to Buffalo.
WildcatMapleLeafs28
Registered User
Nice fight after laying a huge hit last night....kid has been doing it all. Will need to gain 15 pounds or so for the pros, though.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGBeVxJNymc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGBeVxJNymc
Goose of Reason
El Zilcho
- May 1, 2013
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He was #12 for me going into the draft, I think he's just an example of a team having one player over him on their list if you know what I mean. For example, maybe he was 5th on the Jets list but Ehlers was #4 or something along those lines (making this up as an example before everyone freaks out, I have no idea what the Jets' draft board looked like). I think Barbashev will be a 50 point two-way center that will be a ***** to play against. Still boggles my mind that the Blues managed to get both him and Fabbri (I think this is like the 4th time I've said that in this thread
)
Meatwagon
Blues=Overrated
He was #12 for me going into the draft, I think he's just an example of a team having one player over him on their list if you know what I mean. For example, maybe he was 5th on the Jets list but Ehlers was #4 or something along those lines (making this up as an example before everyone freaks out, I have no idea what the Jets' draft board looked like). I think Barbashev will be a 50 point two-way center that will be a ***** to play against. Still boggles my mind that the Blues managed to get both him and Fabbri (I think this is like the 4th time I've said that in this thread
I think in 3-4 years Blues fans are going to look back at this draft and compare it to the 2010 draft when they snagged Schwartz and Tarasenko! The got 2 high first round talents with pick 22 and 33. Fabbri looks like he will be on the opening day roster next year and I wouldn't be shocked in Barbs got at least a 9 game tryout too!
I would also like to thank the Blackhawks for trading up and taking Schmaltz right before us, because from the sounds of it(per the Post beat writer JR) the Blues would have still taken Schmaltz if he was on the board over Fabbri. The Blues also tried to trade back up into the 1st round to get someone(it was either Sherback(sp? MTL pick or Barbashev). From the sounds of it, Bill Armstrong was shocked that Barbs was still available and almost jumped out of his seat while announcing the pick.
Maybe the Blues fortunes are FINALLY starting to change!
Whoa, let's not go overboard now. In all seriousness, there were some concerns from scouts about Barbashev's offense and whether it will translate to the pros, so it will be interesting to see how he does next year in the AHL.
biturbo19
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- Jul 13, 2010
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He was #12 for me going into the draft, I think he's just an example of a team having one player over him on their list if you know what I mean. For example, maybe he was 5th on the Jets list but Ehlers was #4 or something along those lines (making this up as an example before everyone freaks out, I have no idea what the Jets' draft board looked like). I think Barbashev will be a 50 point two-way center that will be a ***** to play against. Still boggles my mind that the Blues managed to get both him and Fabbri (I think this is like the 4th time I've said that in this thread
Absolutely. I'm sure that played into the situation quite a bit as well. Happens to a bunch of guys every year.
Teams only had to have one player they like more than Barbashev for him to fall to where he did. It's entirely possible that a bunch of teams had Barbashev as their #2 option anywhere from the mid-1st round on. Just opted for someone else they liked better, in a lot of cases seemingly the more "swing for the fences" type picks.
TK 421
Barbashev eats babies pass it on
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Two 1st rounders in Schwartz and Tarasenko in 2010(Jarmo's last draft).
Two 2nd rounders in Rattie and Jaskin in 2011.
And now Fabbri with a late 1st and Barbashev with an early 2nd in 2014.
Great run going since 2010 and didn't have a first in 2011(COL trade) or 2013(Bouwmeester).
Very nice group of forward prospects with Fabbri, Barbashev, Rattie and Jaskin. Could definitely afford to part with one of them for a push this year. Would almost certainly be Rattie or Jaskin as both Fabbri and Barbashev project as centers long term which the Blues have needed for quite some time. Great spot to be in for the Blues and really, really exciting for us as fans.
Back on topic...Barbashev is destroying the Q.
Two 2nd rounders in Rattie and Jaskin in 2011.
And now Fabbri with a late 1st and Barbashev with an early 2nd in 2014.
Great run going since 2010 and didn't have a first in 2011(COL trade) or 2013(Bouwmeester).
Very nice group of forward prospects with Fabbri, Barbashev, Rattie and Jaskin. Could definitely afford to part with one of them for a push this year. Would almost certainly be Rattie or Jaskin as both Fabbri and Barbashev project as centers long term which the Blues have needed for quite some time. Great spot to be in for the Blues and really, really exciting for us as fans.
Back on topic...Barbashev is destroying the Q.
STL fan in MN
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- Aug 16, 2007
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As a Blues fan, I'm very happy with the Fabbri pick but it's not like it's a foregone conclusion that he's going to be a better NHLer than Nick Schmaltz. Schmaltz has 8 pts in his first 9 NCAA games as a true freshman. He's also very skilled. Time will tell which one will be the better NHLer.
On Barbashev though, I'm thrilled the Blues were able to get him. I expected him to go around 20th overall so was super happy to get him at 33. He already has NHL size and might press for a spot on the team next season.
From what Armstrong said at the draft, it certainly sounded like the Blues had Schmaltz over Fabbri. I did as well. I hope to be proven wrong in my assessment. But given the Blues recent success at drafts, I wouldn't be celebrating about missing the guy they originally had ranked higher!
Barbashev falling to 33 was unbelievable though. He landed on the team he wanted, and we probably couldn't believe our luck.
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