With the losses of Jonathan Marchessault and Chandler Stephenson, the Vegas Golden Knights will need players from within to improve offensively, and it starts with Ivan Barbashev.
It was always going to be impossible to replace or replicate the production from all the forwards that left the Golden Knights organization. What the team is hoping they can do is minimize it. Trading for Alexander Holtz, signing Victor Olofsson and promoting Brendan Brisson and Pavel Dorofeyev are part of the plan but the Golden Knights will need more.
Jack Eichel, Mark Stone and Tomas Hertl not only need to play at their highest level, but they need to remain healthy. Each player missed a significant amount of games during the 2023-24 season. If they can stay healthy, the Golden Knights can control the damage of the players that left.
One player who is surprisingly flying under the radar this offseason is Ivan Barbashev. The 28-year-old has been playing on Jack Eichel’s wing since he was acquired from the St. Louis Blues at the 2022-23 trade deadline. The two have had great chemistry alongside the new Nashville Predator, Marchessault. Barbashev is defensively responsible and a hound on the forecheck who can display a scoring touch when needed.
That scoring touch is now needed more than ever.
Make that 17 goals this season for Ivan Barbashev. 👀 pic.twitter.com/7s86fGMpCx
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 29, 2024
In the 2021-22 season, Barbashev set career highs in goals, assists and points. He recorded 26 goals, 34 assists and 60 points in 81 games. Since then, the Russian winger hasn’t eclipsed the 20-goal mark or the 50-point plateau.
After signing a five-year, $5M contract, the Golden Knights showed their faith in the player that Barbashev was and could be. Playing in all 82 games during the 2023-24 season, he scored 19 goals and 45 points which is more than respectable when you consider the lack of power play time he received.
That’s 100 career goals for Ivan Barbashev! 🥳 pic.twitter.com/7itrH9lEKr
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 27, 2024
Barbashev will need to be the winger Eichel can rely on to get him the puck and finish off the opportunities he creates. If Barbashev can do this, there is no reason why he can’t score 25 goals and 50 points and help keep the Golden Knights’ offence afloat.
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