Grand Rapids Griffins defenseman Seth Barton is something of a “mystery prospect” to me. The 2018 3rd round pick is 22 going on 23, and at 6’3” and 196 pounds, the Griffins defenseman hasn’t played a full professional season yet, nor did he replicate his prolific BCHL numbers at the NCAA, AHL or ECHL levels.
Detroit Hockey Now’s Nate Brown profiles Barton this evening, and his “upside” is hard to pin down due to injuries…
Injuries hindered Seth Barton’s time on the ice this season as well as a solid grading of where he stands in the system. The small sample size of 20 games did show favorable returns, however. A big bodied defenseman at 6’3 and 215 pounds, Barton was looking to add more muscle to his frame during last year’s offseason to prepare him for the 2021-22 season.
In the handful of games he did play, Barton was efficient and scored his first goal with the Griffins as 2021 was coming to an end. In a 5-4 victory over Milwaukee on December 31, Barton found the back of the net in just his first five games.
So, as Brown suggests, Barton’s more than a little bit down the depth chart in terms of his status as a potential NHL prospect:
Barton’s arrival in Hockeytown is going to come with some competition in a crowded pipeline. Not only did Detroit beef up during free agency, but there are a number of players ahead of him knocking on the door. Simon Edvinsson, Jared McIsaac, William Wallinder, and Albert Johansson all have the inside track as of now. Detroit Hockey Now has Barton as the Red Wings’ tenth best defensive prospect in the system.
Brown continues, and I’m not about to write off a Red Wings prospect while he’s still in the system, but Barton’s climb toward the NHL is certainly uphill.
