After coming off a red-hot second half of the 2022-23 season, free agent Ivan Barbashev has signed a five-year, $5 million average annual value (AAV) deal with the Vegas Golden Knights. A great example of a player performing in his contract year, the 27-year-old took advantage and cashed in on his fourth NHL deal. He was originally drafted by the St. Louis Blues and spent parts of seven seasons with their NHL squad, winning a Stanley Cup.
Last season, the Golden Knights jumped at the opportunity to acquire him as their big trade deadline acquisition, and it paid off in a major way. Barbashev found his offensive touch again, which seemed to have faded to start the 2022-23 campaign. He played top-six minutes, proving he’s capable of that with the Golden Knights, and is a stellar mix of scoring ability and physicality. He’s now a two-time Cup champion, and the run with Vegas proved that he can elevate his game to an elite level when the games really matter.
Barbashev can play at a high level in all situations, as he was heavily utilized on the penalty kill earlier in his career and, in recent years, has been a power-play player. He figured out his game in 2021-22 and broke out, scoring 26 goals and 60 points in 81 games. Although his numbers didn’t reach the same level this season, they were slightly better once joining the Golden Knights. It’s no surprise that a power forward like Barbashev got paid for what he did and that the Golden Knights locked him up for five years. He’s in his prime and has proven he is capable of handling the task of pushing through the playoffs on more than one occasion now.
Barbashev’s Fit with the Golden Knights
The Golden Knights were looking for a top-six winger who could score and add physicality, and they got one at the deadline with Barbashev. With the trade that sent Reilly Smith to the Pittsburgh Penguins, Vegas was able to successfully re-sign one of their top playoff performers. There were older options out there, but security/length was something that the Golden Knights were keen on, as it meant the AAV would be lower. Many times, it seems like free agents get overpaid, but this deal can be one that doesn’t fall into that category.
The Golden Knights got a ton out of Barbashev once they acquired him and apparently loved what they saw. He had great chemistry on the top line with Jack Eichel and Jonathan Marchessault. The type of player he is doesn’t come around too often, and the Golden Knights had the inside track to signing him, doing so less than three days before he was set to become an unrestricted free agent. He should continue to slot in the team’s top-six for the foreseeable future and play alongside Eichel and Marchessault.
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Expect the same from Barbashev that we saw throughout his short time with the Golden Knights to this point: tons of physicality, goal-scoring ability, and power-play minutes. Since the Golden Knights were able to lock him up to a five-year deal and not a max term, this contract should look good throughout, as he will only be 32 at the time of completion, and the cap will have likely risen a fair amount by then. The ruthless Golden Knights got what they wanted heading into free agency.
