Heading into the 2014 NHL Draft, the Tampa Bay Lightning had two first-round picks after trading long-time star Martin St. Louis to the New York Rangers. Considering they were an unexpected playoff team that season with a young roster, this bounty of high-value picks looked like the perfect opportunity for the franchise to add even more talent to their roster in order to build out a contender. While there were a number of players that looked promising in their draft range, one of my favorites was Ivan Barbashev, who was a sturdy, two-way forward who looked like a perfect prospect for the Lightning to add to their farm system.
On draft day, however, the Lightning went a different direction and chose to trade their first-round pick for two-second rounders. While this was a reasonable usage of draft capital, I was still disappointed as I expected Barbashev to be chosen late in the round. However, as the night came to a close, he was still on the board, and I was hopeful that Tampa Bay could still get their man with pick #35 the following morning.
Of course, this is not what happened. Instead, his name was called by the St. Louis Blues at pick #33, mere seconds before the Lightning had their chance to claim him. In the end, things worked out well for St. Louis and Barbashev, as they won a Stanley Cup together, and he even went on to post a career-high 60-point season in 2021-22, which showcased he had top-nine potential on any roster in the league.
As an unrestricted free agent on a struggling Blues team this season, however, Barbashev now finds himself as one of the top targets on the trade market. Sure, he may not be the sexiest name out there, but he will generate more interest than you might expect, and he is a player that would be a perfect fit for a contending team like the Lightning.
Plus, it would give the franchise the chance to rectify a draft-day decision that ended up being one of the biggest misses of the 2010s.
What Barbashev Would Bring to the Lightning
If you’re a fan of playoff hockey, then you will immediately understand why you want a player like Barbashev on your roster. First a foremost, he has a strong offensive instinct that would immediately add a punch to the Lightning’s middle six. While the team has plenty of scoring talent, you need depth like this on your roster to make it far in the postseason. Plus, we all know that injuries will occur during the playoffs, and he is a forward who can slot in at center or wing in a pinch.
Related: NHL Trade Bait List for the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline
On top of that, Barbashev is a bit of a wrecking ball on the ice, as he is one of the hit leaders for the Blues. In 54 games this season, he has put down 110 hits, which is the second most on the team. During their Stanley Cup run, he laid down 87 hits in just 25 games, which led the team. This sort of grinding game is ideal in the playoffs, especially as the Lightning will be facing off against physical teams who want to beat you on the scoreboard and into the boards.
Besides his fit on the ice, Barbashev would also be a fit financially for Tampa Bay. With a $2.25 million cap hit this season, the Blues could retain half of that and bring his cap hit down to a reasonable $1.133 million. For a team with very little space available, the Lightning could still make that work fairly easily by shifting around one of their smaller contracts. Or, if the situation presented itself, they could swap Philippe Myers in the deal to get out from his $1.425 million in buried value as he plays in the AHL. This would give them plenty of space for Barbashev and could be used to avoid having St. Louis retain half of the salary to reduce the overall cost of the deal.
Lightning Could Find a Perfect Player in Barbashev
It’s rare that a team has the opportunity to add a perfect player to their roster for what they need right now, but Barbashev would be the exact fit Tampa Bay needs. The Lightning don’t need to add a star forward or defenseman since they already have that type of talent on their team. No, what they need to find is their next Blake Coleman, Nick Paul, or Barclay Goodrow.
Oftentimes, it isn’t the biggest trade of the deadline that wins you the Stanley Cup. As the Lightning have proven, the smaller deals that fit a franchise are what you need to win it all. With Barbashev, the Lightning could have that. He is a player that makes your team better immediately, and even for a contender, fills in the gaps exactly as needed.
Plus, I’ve always liked Barbashev, and I think he would look good in a different blue sweater for the 2023 Postseason.
