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Ivan Barbashev

Four St. Louis Blues Enter COVID Protocol

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Four St. Louis Blues — forwards Dakota Joshua, James Neal, Ivan Barbashev, and defenseman Robert Bortuzzo — have entered the NHL’s COVID-19 protocols, per a team release.

There are now five Blues on the protocol list, joining Oskar Sundqvist on the list.

Barbashev’s been a shocking producer to start the year, going on a tear with 11 goals and 14 assists for 25 points in 31 games. He’d been averaging over 17 minutes a game, too, so his absence can’t be taken lightly.

Joshua, Neal, and Bortuzzo had combined for just 11 points this year, but it’s just more depth missing from a Blues roster that’s been rocked by absences all year.

Barbashev entered protocol on December 23, so he’s eligible to return three days earlier than the other three players. However, due to an open schedule, all four could come back into action on January 5 against Pittsburgh. Unfortunately, it seems like all four will be unavailable for the Winter Classic on New Years Day.

St. Louis Blues Sign Ivan Barbashev

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The St. Louis Blues have reached an agreement with Ivan Barbashev on a new two-year contract according to his agent Dan Milstein of Gold Star Hockey. Barbashev was a restricted free agent and eligible for salary arbitration this summer. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that the contract will carry an average annual value of $2.25MM. PuckPedia reports that Barbashev will earn $1.9MM in 2021-22 and $2.5MM in 2022-23.

Even with the recent additions of Brandon Saad and Pavel Buchnevich, there appears to be more playing time available in St. Louis this year for some of its young forwards. The team has bid farewell to Jaden Schwartz, Mike Hoffman and Sammy Blais, with trade rumors still swirling around Vladimir Tarasenko and Tyler Bozak still out there as an unrestricted free agent. Though it seems unlikely that Barbashev, a part-time center, would move into the top-six, he still should probably receive a bit more playing time than the 13 minutes he’s averaged to this point.

In 270 NHL games, Barbashev has scored just 89 points, but at least part of that is due to the defensive deployment that Craig Berube has always reserved for his line. The two-way forward has bought into the physical side of the game, and adds some positional flexibility by being able to line up in the middle or left wing. The fact that he spent more minutes playing with Kyle Clifford than any other player on the Blues last season suggests that there is room for offensive improvement if elevated in the lineup, but in his short stints with the more talented forwards he still hasn’t produced very much.

If there was a time for a breakout, it would be these two years, as Barbashev will actually be an unrestricted free agent at the end of this new contract. If he can set himself up as a reliable middle-six center, the number of interested teams would certainly be high.

For the Blues, deciding not to buy out any of Barbashev’s UFA years has kept the cap hit relatively low, and important move when the team still has Jordan Kyrou, Robert Thomas, and Zach Sanford to sign this summer. In fact, the team doesn’t have much room to operate with in those cases, unless of course, they move out a bigger contract like Tarasenko’s.

Injury Notes: Bozak, Trocheck, Bruins, Kings

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After a month-and-a-half on the sidelines, St. Louis Blues forward Tyler Bozak is finally making some progress toward a return. Speaking to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, head coach Craig Berube displayed optimism when discussing the health of his veteran center, who was back at practice on Friday. “He’s gonna get some work here in the next few days and he could be available soon,” Berube said. “It’s good to see him out there and working… making some real good progress.” Bozak has not played since January 26th, when he was forced out of game against the Vegas Golden Knights with an apparent concussion. With the Blue about to embark on a six-game road trip, they will have to decide if bringing Bozak is the right move or if he requires additional time before his return. While St. Louis also just got Vladimir Tarasenko back and Oskar Sundqvist returned from a short-term injury, they could still use all the help they can get. Colton Parayko, Jaden Schwartz, Ivan Barbashev, Robert Thomas, Jacob De La Rose, and more are still among the Blues’ injured.

  • The news on Carolina Hurricanes forward Vincent Trocheck does not sound as optimistic. Head coach Rod Brind’Amour tells The Athletic’s Sara Civian that Trocheck’s recent upper-body injury will keep him sidelined for “longer than hoped”. The coach held back on providing any definitive timeline, but any long-term absence for Trocheck will be a major loss for the team. In his first full season with the Hurricanes, Trocheck has been a point-per-game player and is tied with Sebastian Aho for the team’s scoring lead. If there is one silver lining for Carolina, it is that the injury occurred before the trade deadline; with a considerable amount of cap space, the ’Canes still have time to bring in help to make up for an extended period without Trocheck.
  • Back on the positive side, the Boston Bruins have been dealing with an onslaught of injuries for some time, but there could be some help on the way. Head coach Bruce Cassidy announced today that veteran defenseman Kevan Miller has resumed skating and is likely to travel with the team on their upcoming road trip. Miller has been resting his surgically-repaired knee, but seems like he is ready to get back on the ice. Cassidy also said that defenseman Brandon Carlo is “coming around” and, while he is unsure if it will happen, there is at least some consideration that he could travel as well. This is the first concrete update on Carlo since he was hospitalized by a high hit from Washington’s Tom Wilson, but its seems that Carlo will not be out for a lengthy period as many feared.
  • It’s a scary time for any unknown illness given the shadow of the Coronavirus, so the Los Angeles Kings played it safe and cancelled practice this morning, citing an “illness” spreading around the group. Head coach Todd McLellan and the Kings do not believe that this is COVID, but a seasonal virus. However, the team will wait to see what their latest batch of test results say. Defenseman Olli Maatta is currently on the league’s COVID Protocal Related Absences list, though Alex Iafallo missed the team’s last game with similar symptoms and did not test positive for COVID. Obviously, the hope of all involved is that this is what McLellan believe it to be: some unrelated bug going around the locker room.

Carl Gunnarsson Out For Season

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The St. Louis Blues have announced another long-term injury, this time to defenseman Carl Gunnarsson. The veteran will miss the rest of the season with a right knee injury sustained in the Blues’ recent game against the Los Angeles Kings. He is still being evaluated to determine the full extent of the injury. The team also announced that Ivan Barbashev underwent successful surgery on his ankle and will be re-evaluated in six weeks, as reported previously.

Gunnarsson, 34, has been a quiet soldier for the blues the last several seasons, rarely getting into the lineup but being ready whenever he does. A veteran of 629 regular season NHL games, he has just 73 since the start of the 2018-19 season. An injury like this, if it is as serious as originally feared, could potentially end that long career, given Gunnarsson is an unrestricted free agent in the offseason and will turn 35 just after the next season starts.

If it is the end, at least in St. Louis, he’ll leave with the respect of his teammates. Brayden Schenn called Gunnarsson an “absolute warrior” and a “hell of a teammate” after last night’s game. The depth defenseman played in 19 games on the Blues’ 2019 Stanley Cup run, actually scoring the winning goal in overtime of game two against the Boston Bruins. That goal led to one of the most hilarious anecdotes of the playoffs, as Gunnarsson explained after the game he called his shot while standing next to head coach Craig Berube at the urinal during intermission.

For now, he’ll face a long rehab. But he’ll always be a Stanley Cup champion.

Ivan Barbashev Out At Least Six Weeks

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The St. Louis Blues will be without Ivan Barbashev for at least six weeks after he suffered a left ankle injury in last night’s game. The team says he will be re-evaluated at that time, meaning it could be even longer. In a corresponding move, the Blues have recalled Nathan Walker from the AHL and moved Barbashev to injured reserve.

The 25-year-old forward had six points in 17 games on the season and was being used more and more by head coach Craig Berube of late. Versatile and talented, he’ll be a tough player to replace even for the West-leading Blues. Six weeks means he’ll miss close to 20 games, more than a third of the shortened season.

Not only does that remove a piece of the Blues lineup as they try to secure their position, but for Barbashev, it means this injury could cost him real dollars too. The young forward is scheduled to become a restricted free agent at the end of the year and still hasn’t experienced much of an offensive breakout. With just 83 points in 249 games so far in his career, his arbitration case won’t be very strong. That’s a silver lining for the Blues, but they would obviously want him in the lineup instead of rehabbing an injured ankle.

Snapshots: Montour, Barbashev, Coyotes

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The Buffalo Sabres have a new GM and need a new identity for their team, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be throwing away assets this offseason. Speculation has run rampant lately that the team will leave Brandon Montour unqualified after the defenseman’s up-and-down start with the organization, but when GM Kevyn Adams was asked about it today he told reporters including Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News “that’s definitely not something we’ve talked about.”

The 26-year old defenseman will require a $3.525MM qualifying offer in order for the Sabres to retain his rights as a restricted free agent and is eligible to argue for an even bigger raise in arbitration. Montour has 28 points in 74 games since coming to Buffalo in 2019 but hasn’t quite turned into the top-pairing option they were hoping for. Remember that if Montour opts for arbitration, he can force his way to UFA status in 2021 with a one-year contract award.

  • The St. Louis Blues lost Vladimir Tarasenko when he left the bubble today, but are getting back one of their important bottom-six names. Ivan Barbashev has cleared the quarantine protocols after returning from the birth of his first child, meaning he can be inserted back into the lineup by head coach Craig Berube. The Blues were able to tie their series against the Vancouver Canucks, but have been noticeably missing the physical presence that Barbashev provided last year when he led all players with 87 hits in the postseason.
  • The Arizona Coyotes are holding onto the postseason by a thread after being dismantled by the Colorado Avalanche last night, but could still be missing two of their most important forwards when they start game five. Head coach Rick Tocchet told reporters including Craig Morgan of AZ Coyotes Insider that Conor Garland didn’t practice today and is “uncertain” for tomorrow’s match. The same can be said about Nick Schmaltz, who is still recovering from the hit he took in the exhibition from Ryan Reaves. Schmaltz, the team’s leading scorer during the regular season, hasn’t played a single game in the postseason.

Ivan Barbashev Leaves Bubble

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Aug 11: Baby Barbashev arrived last night, but Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the forward is not expected back in Edmonton until “around August 14.” At that point he would still need to finish his four-day quarantine, meaning Barabashev may not be ready to return until game five of the Blues’ series against the Vancouver Canucks.

Aug 4: As expected, Ivan Barbashev has left the bubble in Edmonton for the birth of his first child. The St. Louis Blues forward has returned home to be with his wife, meaning he’ll have to go through several protocols when he is able to return. The Blues were in full support of the decision, with GM Doug Armstrong releasing the following statement:

We felt it was important for Ivan to be with us for the first two games of the restart and we were prepared for him leaving to go back to St. Louis to be with Ksenia. We wish them both the best and look forward to seeing Ivan back in Edmonton during the first round of the playoffs.

Barbashev will be required to quarantine in his hotel room for four days after returning to Edmonton, while also receiving four negative COVID-19 tests before returning to practice.

The Blues play Thursday and Sunday to complete their round-robin, both games that Barbashev is expected to miss.

Ivan Barbashev To Leave Blue Bubble During Round-Robin

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The St. Louis Blues will have Ivan Barbashev in the lineup when they start their round-robin games in Edmonton, but will be losing him soon after. Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Barbashev will be leaving after one or two games for the birth of his child. Barbashev will have to test negative for COVID-19 four times in four days upon returning to the bubble, meaning he could potentially miss the start of the first round depending on timing.

Barbashev, 24, recorded six points in 25 playoff games for the Blues last season en route to the first Stanley Cup in franchise history. He played a key role physically for the team, recording 87 hits as St. Louis pounded teams into submission with a grueling, grinding playstyle. This season he picked up right where he left off, punishing defenders with 144 hits in 69 games, but also was producing offensively at the highest rate of his young career. In 69 games he put up 11 goals and 26 points while averaging just over 13 minutes a game.

Head coach Craig Berube was clear that when Barbashev returns he will re-enter the lineup, but he’s also preparing MacKenzie MacEachern for playing time.

The Blues, as one of the top teams in the Western Conference, get the advantage of playing this round-robin to determine playoff seeding. Had they been one of the teams in the qualification round, Barbashev could be missing the team’s chance to advance. Instead, like Lars Eller who will also be leaving the bubble at some point to attend the birth of a child, Barbashev may only end up missing a few tune-up games.

Snapshots: Tanev, Miele, Barbashev

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Chris Tanev expected that by this point in the summer, his free agent fate would have already been decided. However, with the league on pause and his Vancouver Canucks still set to take on an expanded playoff field before he becomes a UFA in November, Tanev is using the time to continue expressing just how much he would like to remain with the team. Speaking to NHL.com, Tanev stated that he would “love” to re-sign with Vancouver, the only team he has ever known. An unlikely NHLer who signed with the Canucks after his freshman year at RIT in 2009-10, the 30-year-old has grown into a solid pro defenseman who has been a pivotal presence for Vancouver when healthy and a locker room leader as well. This season, he took on the role of mentor as well and found instant chemistry with star rookie Quinn Hughes. Tanev states that part of his excitement to stay with the Canucks is to keep playing alongside Hughes, who has also expressed a similar sentiment about Tanev. While Tanev is not the only key free agent in need of a new contract from the cap-strapped Canucks, with Jacob Markstrom and Tyler Toffoli in line as well, his tie to the franchise’s new cornerstone defenseman certainly helps his case. Tanev also stands a chance of boosting his stock in the upcoming postseason. He and Alexander Edler are the only holdovers from Vancouver’s 2011 Stanley Cup Final run and could provide valuable experience that fuels another run for the team. Regardless of what happens, Tanev has made it clear that he does not want this to be his last season with the Canucks and it is up to the team to decide what happens next.

  • A Pacific Division peer who does not seem to be sticking around is Arizona Coyotes forward Andy Miele. The veteran returned from the KHL this season, signing a two-year deal with Arizona, but played exclusively with the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners. It appears that he plans to have the second year of his contract terminated, as Russian source Championat reports that he has signed a one-year deal to return to Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Miele was one of the most productive players for Torpedo in 2018-19 and found the same success with Tucson this year, but it did not turn into any NHL opportunities and has prompted a return to the KHL.
  • Heading the other direction from Russia to North America is talented young forward Maxim Barbashev. The 16-year-old younger brother of the St. Louis Blues’ Ivan Barbashev, Barbashev has been highly touted out of Russia’s youth ranks, scoring at better than a point-per-game rate this year at the U-17 and U-18 levels combined. Now he will take his talents to Canadian juniors, joining the QMJHL’s Moncton Wildcats. Agent Dan Milstein announced that a deal was done between the Wildcats and their first-round pick in 2020 CHL Import Draft. Barbashev will follow in his brother’s footsteps, as Ivan starred for Moncton for three years himself, and hopes that he might even surpass his No. 33 overall NHL Draft slot in a couple of years.

Blues’ Jake Allen Promised Trade Protection

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Even after winning the Stanley Cup, many expected that the St. Louis Blues would be active on the trade market this summer. The team seemingly lacked the salary cap space to re-sign a vast number of restricted free agents, including goaltender Jordan Binnington, defenseman Joel Edmundson, and forwards Oskar Sundqvist, Ivan Barbashev, Zach Sanford, and Robby Fabbri. Somehow, GM Doug Armstrong did manage to get all of his young RFA’s back under contract, although it took time and left the Blues with very little cap flexibility heading into the new season. Unsurprisingly, that meant that trade rumors persisted throughout the off-season.

A quick look at the defending champs’ roster reveals that there is really only one obvious piece that St. Louis could be expected to try to move on from: starting goaltender turned overpriced backup Jake Allen. Allen’s name popped up throughout the summer and he tells Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he was well aware of the rumors. However, he also informed Thomas that he knew better than to get caught up in the hype. Allen states that Armstrong and company assured him that he would not be traded this past summer:

I knew internally all along this summer that I wasn’t getting dealt. They had told me that. You know, people talk and things like that, but I knew that they don’t want to get rid of me, so it was good to be reassured that way. I knew that I was coming back. So just put my mind at ease and get really focused on being the best Blue I can. There was a lot of chatter obviously with the way the summer went and the run that Binner went on. But internally I knew I was coming back, so I wasn’t worried about it at all.

The language used by Allen paints a pretty clear picture of where his head is at entering the 2019-20 campaign. The 29-year-old is confident that the Blues want him in the mix and calls the play of 26-year-old rookie Binnington “a run”. In reality, Binnington greatly outperformed Allen in the second half of the year and earned the lion’s share of starts. He finished the season with a GAA nearly one whole goal better than Allen and save percentage more than 20 points better. It wasn’t close between the two and was actually the second poor season in a row for Allen. Yet, he still believes that this is an open competition and the contract figures may support his claim.

If the Blues did in fact promise not to trade Allen – albeit a handshake agreement as he has no trade protection in his contract – it does stand to reason that they see the next two years as an open competition to see which keeper, if either, is deserving of an extension. Even after his Calder Trophy finalist-caliber year, Binnington only received a two-year, $8.7MM contract. Both his and Allen’s contracts will expire following the 2020-21 season and in the meantime, Allen will still be making $50K more as the supposed backup. The scenario provides hope for the veteran netminder and that’s all he needs to get excited for the challenge of a new season: “There’s one net out there, and I’m gonna go after it. No question.”

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