Blues await new dad Barbashev's return to bubble

St. Louis Blues center Ivan Barbashev left the NHL's bubble in Edmonton last week for good reason -- the imminent birth of his first-born child. "That feeling has been stuck in me for a long time and you just get even more hungry after winning." Barbashev had 11 goals and 15 assists in 69 games during the regular season, then went scoreless in his one game during the pre-playoffs Western Conference round robin.

St. Louis Blues center Ivan Barbashev left the NHL's bubble in Edmonton last week for good reason -- the imminent birth of his first-born child. Now, Barbashev and his wife are the proud parents of a little boy named Daniil. And the Blues are waiting patiently for their talented 24-year-old to return to Edmonton as the Western Conference quarterfinals get underway.

The Blues expect Barbashev to arrive by Friday, but he then will have to quarantine for four days before returning to the ice. That means he might not be available to play until Game 5, if necessary, on Aug. 19 in the best-of-seven series against the Vancouver Canucks. Before he left Edmonton, Barbashev said he intended all along to help his teammates as soon as possible after his child was born.

"We didn't even talk about it, (whether) to opt out or not," Barbashev said to reporters. "It was actually really simple. I'm still 24, I have a full career ahead of me. After winning (the Cup) last year, I want to do it all over again. "That feeling has been stuck in me for a long time and you just get even more hungry after winning."

Barbashev had 11 goals and 15 assists in 69 games during the regular season, then went scoreless in his one game during the pre-playoffs Western Conference round robin. The Moscow native has scored 37 goals in parts of four seasons with St. Louis. --Field Level Media

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