The San Jose Sharks liked what they saw from Alexander Barabanov down the stretch. The Russian forward’s agent Dan Milstein tweeted out that his client has signed a one-year extension with the Sharks after being acquired at the trade deadline. PuckPedia reports that the deal is worth $1MM.
Barabanov, 26, originally signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs for the 2020-21 season, but was unable to make much of an impact in his time there. Through 13 games with the Maple Leafs, he registered just a single assist and failed to score a goal. Toronto found him a home willing to give him an opportunity at the deadline, trading Barabanov to the Sharks (in exchange for Antti Suomela), who almost immediately put him on the top line. In his San Jose debut, he scored the game-winner for his first NHL goal and would go on to register seven points in eight games with the team.
Given his age, Barabanov could have become an unrestricted free agent this summer when his one-year entry-level deal expired. Instead, he’ll get another chance to establish himself with the Sharks after a long KHL career. Barabanov will once again be a UFA at the conclusion of this new contract.
Kraken bait?
Totally Kraken bait
Why would this be Kraken bait? It’s a decent contract they can get out of if it goes south. This isn’t something the sharks would want to lose.
They’d be much better off finding a way to get Seattle to take one of their larger contracts to open up cap and foster flexibility over the next few years.