Talent Analysis

A highly-touted offensive blue liner, Barberio can lead the rush, make the smart first pass out of the zone and quarterback the powerplay. His puck control skills and his low, hard point shot makes him dangerous in all situation. Barberio has improved his defensive play but can still struggle at times when faced with physical pressure. As with many offense-oriented defensemen, he had a knack for being overly creative and taking high risk chances early in his junior days.
Future
Barberio is all but set to begin his pro career with Norfolk though he could be returned to junior for an overage season. New Lightning coach Guy Boucher prefers to use a lot of defensemen and Barberio's game fits the high-tempo, active-defensemen style of game that Boucher prefers to have his team play. Barberio will need time to adjust to the pace and physicality of pro hockey, but long-range he projects as a play-making, two-way defenseman who can contribute offense from the backline and is a threat on the power play.