Alexander Barabanov has been a good player for the San Jose Sharks, but could he be on the way out?

Since the San Jose Sharks acquired Alexander Barabanov, he has done nothing but produce.

In 147 games played for San Jose, the Russian forward has 93 points (28 goals, 65 assists). 

On April 12, 2021, the Sharks traded forward Antti Suomela to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for Barabanov. Barabanov had one assist in 13 games for the Leafs before being moved.

Once he arrived in San Jose, he played higher in the lineup, and in the nine games after moving west, he had seven points.

Barabanov would score a career-high 39 points in 70 games in the 21-22 season and would yet again improve on his career-high in points last season with 47 in 68 games.

Tomas Hertl and Barabanov have shown good chemistry together. Still, with new faces like Anthony Duclair, Filip Zadina, and William Eklund, Barabanov could be on the outside looking in at the top six forwards.

The 29-year-old has a cap hit of $2.5 million and will be a free agent at the end of next season. He does have a 10-team no-trade list attached to his contract.

With the San Jose Sharks still at the start of a rebuild, GM Mike Grier will continue to hunt for draft capital. Due to his upcoming free agency and low cap hit, Barabanov could be a piece contending teams to look for at trade deadline time.

At 5'10, Barabanov is not big, but his skating, specifically his edgework, is elite. He has a similar skating style to Kirill Kaprizov but is not quite as fast or powerful on his feet. 

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKca114yA7I[/embed]

As seen on this setup to Timo Meier, Barabanov's hips open up, allowing him to create more space and a different angle for a seem pass. 

His ability to find the open man at even strength or on the powerplay should make him an attractive addition for a team looking for a player who can facilitate the play in the offensive zone. 

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLZeKVpRm6s[/embed]

The ability to mohawk and open up the hips for a skater is an elite skill that creates many different options. 

Barabanov is a tremendous passer, and his skating ability allows him to slip away from body checks along the boards. This, mixed with his offensive IQ, should make the forward an attractive trade option.