Golden Knights acquire Ivan Barbashev from Blues

Barbashev was ranked seventh on Frank Seravalli’s Trade Targets list, and third among forwards after Timo Meier and Patrick Kane. As more and more teams started to learn where they stand on those two forwards, the market for Barbashev was going to grow, so Vegas was wise to jump on the next best option quickly. That said, there are reports that Vegas may also be in on Meier.

If not for the high standard he set production-wise last season, this year would already have been his career-high with 10 goals, 19 assists and 29 points in 59 games. However, he’s coming off a season where he had 26 goals and 60 points, so by that standard, it’s been a disappointing year for Barbashev.

Barbashev has emerged as a solid playmaking winger with a nice scoring touch in the past couple of seasons. While he can play center, his struggles defensively make him much more effective on the wing, which should be fine for a Vegas team that already has Jack Eichel, William Karlsson and Chandler Stephenson down the middle.

A second-round pick of the Blues in 2014, Barbashev has spent the entirety of his career in St. Louis, winning a Stanley Cup in 2019. He’s in the final year of a two-year contract with a $2.25 million salary, none of which has been retained by the Blues.

Dean was the Golden Knights first-round pick in 2021, selected 30th overall. He currently has 24 goals, 25 assists and 49 points in 38 games with the Gatineau Olympiques in the QMJHL.

The Golden Knights sit first in the Pacific Division with a 35-18-6 record. However, it’s a tight race for the top spot, with just six points separating the first and fourth-place teams in that division. Vegas is also riding a nine-game point streak, going 6-0-3 in that span.