If the Blues trade Ivan Barbashev, these 10 teams may be interested

ST. LOUIS — It seemed like it was on cue.

In the second period of the Blues 6-2 win over Florida on Tuesday, Brandon Saad went out with an upper-body injury. Who took his spot on the top line? Ivan Barbashev.

There were 15-plus NHL scouts peering over the press box, many of whom were likely in attendance to watch Barbashev. The 27-year-old forward will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, which means the Blues are getting a lot of phone calls on the 2019 Stanley Cup champion heading into the March 3 NHL trade deadline.

According to the NHL Network’s Kevin Weekes, Barbashev is drawing interest from multiple clubs, and the return could be a first-round pick or a second-round pick plus a prospect. His salary-cap hit is just $2.25 million, so he’s affordable to a cap-strapped team.

Well, with Saad done for the night Tuesday, Barbashev assisted on Ryan O’Reilly’s goal that put the Blues ahead 4-1, and he added an empty-netter for a three-point night.

“He played a good game,” said one scout, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he’s not authorized to speak publicly. “He’s strong on the boards. That’s one thing, he’s always competing. He’s always worked hard and competed for the puck.

“He’s that third-line guy you really, really like. If you’re a contender, I think he’s your Nos. 7-8-9. He can play on the top two lines, if necessary. If someone in the top six gets hurt, he can play up in that. I think he’s a good player.”

The list of clubs with scouts in St. Louis recently included the New York Rangers, Winnipeg, Pittsburgh, Boston, Nashville, Dallas, Buffalo, Edmonton, Seattle, Calgary, Vegas, Los Angeles, Toronto, Tampa Bay and Detroit.

“Obviously the noise was surrounding (Vladimir Tarasenko), and now O’Reilly,” Blues forward Brayden Schenn said. “But there’s Barbashev and other guy’s names being tossed around. Any team should want a guy like that. He’s physical, he can score, he’s capable of PK, PP. He’s just one of those versatile guys who can play any position.

“He’s earned every opportunity he’s got here, built his way up from the minors to the fourth line to the top six. You root for a guy like that, and whatever happens in his situation, you hope for the best for him.”

It’s perhaps unwise to rule out the Blues re-signing Barbashev, whom they drafted in the second round in 2014 and played in his 404th game Tuesday. But the cost may be too rich for general manager Doug Armstrong, and the trade offers too good to pass up.

So I put together a list of teams that have been mentioned as possible destinations for the forward and a few others that make sense. I asked colleagues who cover those clubs about the potential interest level and what they may be willing to give up. There’s also an accompanying chart at the bottom with the available 2023 draft picks for the corresponding clubs.

Eastern Conference

New Jersey: The Devils might ultimately add a high-end winger at the deadline. They may also want another utility forward. Barbashev would help make this team a bit more versatile, thanks to his ability to play center and wing. The only question is just how much the team would be willing to spend to add him. New Jersey has picks and prospects, from Alexander Holtz on forward to defenders Reilly Walsh, Shakir Mukhamadullin and Nikita Okhotiuk. It depends on how much the team spends elsewhere because they probably don’t want to deplete their prospect pool too much just yet. It also depends on how much other teams up the ask for Barbashev. — Shayna Goldman

Pittsburgh: Simply put, the Penguins are in desperate need of scoring depth. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are still great, but they aren’t going to carry a team through the playoffs. They need help. The Penguins’ third line of Jeff Carter, Brock McGinn and Kasperi Kapanen is one of the NHL’s worst. This unit needs an upgrade badly and Barbashev is a player who could help them. He would even help the Penguins without scoring, as he plays with considerably more grit than do many of their forwards. It’s a pretty good match. — Josh Yohe

Boston: Barbashev checks several boxes for the Bruins. He is a multi-position forward, similar to Pavel Zacha. He would add depth to the Bruins’ bottom six. Barbashev could be a left-shot center to complement Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci and Charlie Coyle, all righties. If the Blues retain part of Barbashev’s $2.25 million average annual value, it would help the Bruins manage their cap situation. They would be interested in re-signing Barbashev to prepare for when Bergeron and Krejci retire. Perhaps most critical is Barbashev’s relationship with former Blues assistant coach Jim Montgomery. A reunion could bring out more of Barbashev’s offensive game. The Bruins would be unlikely to part with Fabian Lysell or Mason Lohrei, their top two prospects. They do not have 2023 or 2024 second-round picks. — Fluto Shinzawa

Carolina: Barbashev would certainly add more depth to the Hurricanes’ bottom six, but at what cost? Carolina is notoriously careful with giving up assets for rentals, and the asking price on Barbashev would need to come down for them to have an interest. At last year’s deadline, the Hurricanes inquired about Columbus center Max Domi but balked at the acquisition cost. Then as the deadline crept closer, the teams reconnected and Carolina got Domi for a mid-level prospect and the rights to a 25-year-old Kontinental Hockey League player. The Hurricanes will search for a legit replacement for Max Pacioretty first, but I could see them circling back to Barbashev if the price is right. — Cory Lavalette

Toronto: Barbashev makes sense for the Leafs, in that, he’s a guy who could bring them a different element in their top nine — a dude who can score and crash and bang. That said, their bigger need is in the top six, and Barbashev doesn’t really check that box definitively. And if they do acquire a top-six forward, their third line would be pretty well set with David Kämpf, Calle Järnkrok, and Pierre Engvall — which lessens the need for Barbashev. I like Noel Acciari a bit more for the Leafs. They’re short on centers, for one thing — and right-shooting centers who can win faceoffs for that matter. Acciari also plays a hard game and can provide a bit of pop. Depth guys like that typically fetch fourth-round picks. Call it in. — Jonas Siegel

Tampa Bay: The Lightning make sense because Barbashev is the type of player the club seems to add to its group — a lesser-name guy who doesn’t make a lot of money and becomes the perfect fit. It’s akin to getting Nick Paul from Ottawa for a fourth-round pick and a prospect. Paul was inserted in the bottom six and had a terrific finish to the 2021-22 season, earning himself a new contract in Tampa. The Lightning, however, are without their first- and second-round picks this summer, and their first-rounder next summer. That would seem to make them less inclined to deal with their third rounder, which may not be enough anyway. So if the Lightning are interested, we might be talking about prospects. — Jeremy Rutherford

Western Conference

Vegas: The Golden Knights could certainly use another middle-six forward to strengthen their depth, and both Barbashev and Acciari would fit the bill. The fact that Barbashev can play all three positions and has a strong cycle game should be major assets in Vegas’ eyes. Acciari played under Bruce Cassidy in Boston, which would make him a sensible fit on the third or fourth line. The Golden Knights are without a second-round pick for the upcoming draft but could send a 2024 second along with a prospect like 2021 second-round forward Matyas Sapovaliv or 2019 third-round defenseman Layton Ahac St. Louis’ way. — Jesse Granger

Winnipeg: I think Barbashev makes a bit of sense for the Jets — probably as a third-line left wing who plays shutdown minutes with Adam Lowry and Mason Appleton, bumping Morgan Barron down and/or sometimes taking second-line left-wing duties from Cole Perfetti if he has the offensive chops to play with Kyle Connor and Pierre-Luc Dubois. My guess is that Winnipeg’s fantasy is a right-shooting version because Connor and Dubois are lefties and coach Rick Bowness has a thing about swapping Perfetti for lesser right-handed wingers when protecting leads late in games. — Murat Ates

Dallas: The Stars have had a hole in their middle six all season long. They’re filling that by shuffling some pieces around and guys playing positions they’re not used to. Stars GM Jim Nill is not a fan of parting with assets — premium draft picks or high-end prospects — for rentals, but Barbashev could be an immediate boost and potentially factor into the Stars’ plan beyond this season. The Stars wouldn’t give up their top-tier assets but some middling prospects and mid-to-late-round draft picks would be possibilities. — Saad Yousuf

Los Angeles: The Kings have two more important needs to address: a left-shooting defenseman and a goalie, if they’re not certain No. 1 Pheonix Copley can carry the mail in the playoffs. But they could have interest in Barbashev as they’ve gone with a few faces for the third-line center role. Blake Lizotte is tenacious and kills penalties while also working well off Kevin Fiala. But they could further strengthen the middle behind Anze Kopitar and Phillip Danault by slotting in Barbashev as a rental. Barbashev isn’t the 26-goal, 60-point guy of last season, but he may have more offensive upside than Lizotte, who would be perfect at 4C. The stickler might be getting St. Louis to take a contract back to make the money work. — Eric Stephens