Babchuk can look good, but he has to really be sheltered.
However, it seems he is just a guy that needs to get going for a bit. I remember when he first got traded here, and he was atrocious. A few games in, and everyone started liking him.
I wasn't a big fan of that re-sign - not for the money and the partial NTC especially - but he was definitely useful. Just needs a few games to 'warm up', but needs a coach to really manage his minutes. I think he is the type of D that can really impact a game positively.
Brent even used him on the PK a bit (might have just been a couple of games, but he was out there). Good active stick, good at the angles, and would sometimes even use his body to out-muscle some guys on the boards. However, he was slow as molasses, and thus has to be extremely managed.
Aside from a very, very good shot from the point (I still think it is harder and more accurate than Wideman's - but takes a bit longer to get off), he was extremely underrated for how good he was at keeping the puck in the offensive zone, and for his first pass (I thought he had one of the best 1st passes from any D on the Flames consistently).
His speed I think is the only thing that hurts him (and it hurts his game tremendously), and thus he needs to really be sheltered. Other than that, I actually think he is one of the better pure PP Ds out there. Won't be worth anything at all unless he plays, and unless the Flames move out some bodies or injuries start happening, he won't see much in the way of playing time.
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