Penguins A to Z: Riley Barber hopes to be more than a '4A' player
While the NHL is on hold because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the Tribune-Review will offer Penguins A to Z, a player-by-player look at all 54 individuals under NHL contract with the organization, from mid-level prospect Niclas Almari to high-profile trade acquisition Jason Zucker.
Riley Barber
Position: Right winger
Shoots: Right
Age: 26
Height: 6-foot
Weight: 190 pounds
2019-20 NHL statistics: Nine games, 0 points (0 goals, 0 assists)
2019-20 AHL statistics: 46 games, 37 points (16 goals, 21 assists)
Contract: One-year contract with a salary cap hit of $700,000. Pending unrestricted free agent
Acquired: Acquired via trade on Feb. 20
This season: After four productive seasons with the Hershey Bears, AHL affiliate of the Washington Capitals, Barber opted to join the Laval Rocket, the Montreal Canadiens’ affiliate as a free agent last offseason.
As usually has been the case throughout his professional career, which has been played primarily at the AHL level, Barber was one of Laval’s most productive players with 31 points (13 goals, 18 assists) in 39 games. He even earned a recall to the NHL level when injuries ravaged the Canadiens’ forward ranks in December.
In February, Barber and teammate Phil Varone, ran afoul of Laval coach Joel Bouchard, who suggested they weren’t sufficiently engaged. Shortly before the NHL’s trade deadline, Barber and Varone were dealt to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in a trade for forwards Joseph Blandisi and Jake Lucchini.
A native of Washington, Pa., Barber found an immediate fit with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins by producing six points (three goals, three assists) in only seven games before the AHL halted play.
The future: In his five professional seasons, Barber has developed into a classic “4A” player: good enough to be a productive first-line AHLer but not good enough to be a regular — or even occasional — NHLer. The fact he has all of 12 NHL games on his resume since being a sixth-round draft pick in 2012 would be evidence of that.
A number of injuries or other absences would have to occur on the NHL roster for Barber to dress for a game in his hometown team’s jersey. But given his ability to shoot the puck and the Penguins’ general attitude about fitting every ounce of skill — as opposed to grit — into their lineup on a nightly basis, it isn’t entirely unreasonable to see Barber in Pittsburgh, even if only on an infrequent basis.
Seth Rorabaugh is a TribLive reporter covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. A North Huntingdon native, he joined the Trib in 2019 and has covered the Penguins since 2007. He can be reached at srorabaugh@triblive.com.
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