“I’m here to fight for my spot,” he said. “I’m not ready to give up my spot to anyone else. I’m working really hard, especially in the summer. I feel really confident about it.”

But the glamour spots are gone. With Ryan O’Reilly and Tyler Bozak brought in in the offseason to join Brayden Schenn in the middle, the only center spot that’s left open is on the fourth line, and even there, hot prospect Robert Thomas could round out the set. While Barbashev may not fill the body type of fourth-line predecessors like Brodziak and Scottie Upshall, he may also benefit from a change in the game to try more offensive-minded fourth liners.

“(It could be) different,” he said, “but the fourth line will always be the fourth line. It’s always just to get energy to the bench, through a couple good hits, and I’m pretty sure I can do it. I’m sure to work my (here he pauses to skip over a word he doesn’t want to say) off.

“It’s just different. When you see Uppie and Brodzie going away, we’ve just got (Chris Thorburn) out there, a fighter. It’s a really good opportunity for me.”