Former Maple Leaf Alex Barabanov leaves the NHL for good
Alexander Barabanov has decided to pack his bags and leave the NHL for good, heading back home to play in Russia with the KHL's AK Bars Kazan.
Barabanov was a UFA this off-season, and appeared in 46 games for the San Jose Sharks last season, where he got four goals and 13 points. It was a major step back for him from the previous season where he had a career-high 47 points. His ice-time also took a massive tumble with the Sharks last season, after having a career high 18:03 two years ago.
Barabanov then demanded a trade from the San Jose Sharks, but unfortunately they never satisfied his request, and ultimately he was forced to play the rest of the season with the lowly Sharks. He was not happy about that.
Barabanov has given up on the NHL and has now signed with the KHL's AK Bars Kazan in Russia. It appears that many players in the NHL have begun this trend of returning home to play in Russia.
The 30-year-old was originally signed by the Toronto Maple Leafs back in 2020 and only played 13 games for them. He didn't score a single goal and managed 1 assist. He was eventually traded to the Sharks for Antti Suomela, who never made the Leafs lineup, and ultimately returned to Sweden.
Source:
NHL update on X
Source: HockeyDB
Alexander Barabanov Statistics
| POLL | ||
Did you ever watch Alex Barabanov play on the Toronto Maple Leafs? | ||
| Yes | 97 | 42.5 % |
| No | 131 | 57.5 % |
| List of polls | ||
