After trading Ryan O’Reilly and Noel Acciari in earlier deals, the St. Louis Blues have made another move, sending Ivan Barbashev to the Vegas Golden Knights, according to TSN’s Darren Dreger and other NHL insiders. The 27-year-old has registered 10 goals and 19 assists in 59 games this season and is set to become an unrestricted free agent. He is in the final season of a two-year deal that carries a cap hit of $2.25 million.
It is believed the Golden Knights have traded prospect Zach Dean back to the Blues in exchange for the forward. Dean, 20, was the Golden Knights’ first-round pick in 2021 (No. 30 overall). He has 24 goals and 49 points with Gatineau Olympiques of the QMJHL this season.
Barbashev has been a trade candidate for some time. The Golden Knights are also believed to be in the running for Timo Meier and if they land him, Barbashev and Meier will be a good bet to offer some replacement production for Mark Stone who went down with an injury and was placed on LTIR.
Barbashev, 27, broke out offensively in 2021-22. He tallied 26 goals and 60 points in 81 contests. In 50 career playoff games, he has three goals and nine points. He’s a versatile forward who should be able to slot in at multiple spots for new head coach Bruce Cassidy. He’s a playmaker, but there’s a bit of criticism when it comes to his ability to finish and score.
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