Alexander Barabanov’s final season with the San Jose Sharks was derailed by injury. Still, in an exclusive interview with Sergey Demidov of rg.org, the Russian forward described why the team’s playstyle was also ineffective.
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Barabanov spoke politely about the Sharks, stating that he thoroughly enjoyed his time in San Jose. He had no problems with anyone in the organization and was thankful for the expanded role he got after his trade from the Toronto Maple Leafs.
“It was a cool experience,” Barabanov said in an exclusive interview with RG.org. “Of course, there was a feeling of incompleteness because I really wanted to play in the playoffs and compete for the Stanley Cup. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out. But overall, I enjoyed it. They let me play a lot, especially in San Jose.”
Barabanov told reporters around the trade deadline that he missed playing in the postseason more than anything.
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The winger reminisced about his time with the Maple Leafs, saying it was hard to break into the lineup and play extensive minutes. He didn’t want to play on the fourth line. He said there were offers for him to extend his NHL career, but not playing higher in the lineup was a significant influence.
“The last year was difficult because of injuries,” said 30-year-old Barabanov. “And in the NHL, everyone judges by your last year of contract. I’ve been offered to play in the fourth line, but I want to avoid repeating the same mistake. I went through this in Toronto, and I understand what it is. So there was no point in it. It’s better to play in the KHL.”
Barabanov finally spoke about what went wrong for the Sharks last season.
“I got much pleasure from the hockey processes, from the whole league, but in the last year, I suffered from injuries, and the team played primitive hockey. You run around without the puck and don’t understand why you need all this. We didn’t even try to keep the puck, play for your partner. It was the most simple hockey that kills the player in you,” Barabanov said.
The 30-year-old forward was often at the bottom of former head coach David Quinn’s lineup. As a player who could hold onto the puck and create passing lanes, constantly not having the puck on his stick made him less effective.
“But after all, this helped them get [Macklin] Celebrini. I hope that the team will finish a rebuild. They have many good young players with great future,” Barabanov said.
The winger started a family in San Jose, but his time in the NHL is closed, which he said himself.
“I’ve probably already closed the door to the NHL for myself. I don’t see the point in going there and sitting on the bench or playing in the AHL,” Barabanov explained. “It’s a shame because my style of play fits the NHL. But the speeds there are getting higher every year, and you’re not getting any younger.”
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