Ivan Barbashev has increased his value after strong Stanley Cup run

Ivan Barbashev picked the perfect time to be an unrestricted free agent.

He had a bit of a down year in the regular season with the St. Louis Blues after putting up 60 points in 2021-22, but once he joined the Vegas Golden Knights after the trade deadline, he was back to that pace. He had 16 points in 23 regular season games, and then 18 in 22 playoff games on route to winning his second Stanley Cup. Now, he becomes one of the top options in a weak free agent class, so he’s poised to get a big pay day.

Frank Seravalli and Mike McKenna talked about what to expect with Barbashev’s free agency market in a new edition of Ice Breakers.

Frank Seravalli: Barbashev had a fantastic playoff run for the Golden Knights, 22 games played, 18 points. A guy that really had a scoring touch in St. Louis, now a two-time Stanley Cup champion, was a big part of that team’s run back in 2019. And when you look at Barbashev a couple years ago, 26 goals, 60 points, the start of this year was incredibly slow for him in St. Louis, and people weren’t really sure what to make of him. I think he’s now taken off in a big way offensively, and that run proved that he’s got some elements to his game that make him a really attractive player.

So, Barbashev has jetted up to the top 10 on our free agents list, he checks in at number nine, and I think, depending on price of course, he’d be a sneaky good addition to a team. I think he’s one of those guys that helps you win.

Mike McKenna: Yeah, I agree. I tell you what though, regular season Barbashev was different than playoff Barbashev, and you really saw it this year, you saw it with St. Louis when they won their Cup in 2019 as well, but he brings a physical element, and he’s got good hands around the net.

You can watch the full episode here…