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St. Louis Blues Reportedly Send Kenny Agostino, Ivan Barbashev to AHL Chicago Wolves

By Patrick Karraker

Oct 1, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Blackhawks center Nick Schmaltz (8) and St. Louis Blues left wing Kenny Agostino (73) follow the puck during the first period of a preseason hockey game at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 1, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Blackhawks center Nick Schmaltz (8) and St. Louis Blues left wing Kenny Agostino (73) follow the puck during the first period of a preseason hockey game at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports /
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Most of the St. Louis Blues’ roster drama is over after they sent two forwards to AHL Chicago on Wednesday.

It appears that the St. Louis Blues‘ biggest roster battle has been resolved, as the club has assigned forwards Kenny Agostino and Ivan Barbashev to the AHL Chicago Wolves according to Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The moves haven’t been announced by the club yet, but considering that they haven’t announced any cuts for several days now, it seems likely that they’ll announce everything once they’ve set their initial roster.

Agostino and Barbashev were believed to be battling veteran Landon Ferraro for the final forward spot on the Blues’ opening night roster. With both of them gone now, it’s just a matter of the team deciding whether it’s more sensible to carry Ferraro as a 14th forward or to keep an eighth defenseman (either Petteri Lindbohm or Jordan Schmaltz).

Agostino led the Blues this season with six points and a plus-4 rating in five games this preseason. Five of those points–two goals and four assists–came in the preseason opener against the Columbus Blue Jackets, though, and he was more of a non-factor over his remaining four games. The 24-year-old made a good case to be one of the Blues’ first call-ups in the event of an injury this season, and he’ll attempt to add to his current career total of 10 NHL games.

Next: Five Blues Players Under Pressure Going into 2016-17

Barbashev had no points and a minus-2 rating in five games, and he seemed to be helped in his battle for a roster spot by his pedigree as a former second-round pick. The 20-year-old is likely to be a factor in the NHL at some point this season, though he clearly has a ways to go in terms of becoming an effective two-way player and competing physically with NHL talent.

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