Cam Barker has been released from his tryout with the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs. Barker was trying to find a job in North America after spending 2013-14 skating in the KHL. Unfortunately, his tryout with the Chicago Blackhawks a few weeks back didn’t pan out nor did his brief appearance with the IceHogs.
Barker last skated in the NHL with the Vancouver Canucks in 2012-13. He appeared in 14 games and produced a very quiet two assists. The Canucks let him walk and since then he’s been struggling to find a role, but teams continue to pass. Considering we’ve seen plenty of defensemen with more reliable records battling to find work, it’s really no surprise the underachieving Barker has been let go.
What’s in store for Barker? That’s difficult to say, but it’s clear the former third overall pick in the 2004 NHL Draft is a massive bust. Maybe some team will come calling, but that seems pretty unlikely considering he has been deemed unworthy of even an AHL role. Realistically, Barker will have to prove he can still compete in a foreign or a minor league before even the AHL will come calling.
At 28, he still has plenty of years left, but he’s going to have to turn his career around in a hurry if he wants to avoid being one of the biggest disappointments in Draft history.
