The former NHL winger heads to Yekaterinburg as Avtomobilist bolsters its scoring depth, eyeing a deeper postseason run following the veteran playmaker’s stint with Ak Bars Kazan.
Another former San Jose Sharks forward is on the move in Russia. Reports out of the KHL suggest Alexander Barabanov is set to join Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg for the upcoming season.
The 32-year-old winger returned home after his NHL contract expired, signing with Ak Bars Kazan last year. He ended up helping them through a playoff run, but they fell short of a Gagarin Cup, and now it looks like he’s switching teams within the league.
Avtomobilist is coming off back-to-back Quarterfinal exits and has been pretty active this summer trying to retool the roster. There’s a clear push to add more proven scoring depth, and Barabanov fits that group.
Before going back to Russia, he played 206 NHL games split between the Toronto Maple Leafs and San Jose Sharks, finishing with 32 goals and 107 points. His best year came in 2022-23 with San Jose when he put up 47 points in 68 games. That’s the version Avtomobilist is hoping shows up and helps push them a step further in the playoffs.
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