The 27-year-old could be a worthwhile pickup, but is due a significant pay raise after his Stanley Cup run with the Golden Knights.
The Washington Capitals have a lot of work to do as the team approaches the 2023 NHL Draft and the start of NHL Free Agency and prepares to make changes following a disappointing 2022-23 campaign.
While the team is likely to get a top prospect at the draft and even take some calls for some potential trades, there are also some free agents that could be of use, and one name to look at is Ivan Barbashev.
Following a stellar year and his second Stanley Cup, the Russian has likely priced himself out of the Vegas Golden Knights. He made $2.25 million this last season, but his next projected cap hit comes out to about $4.8 million, per Evolving Hockey. The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun also speculated that Barbashev's camp could seek a multi-year deal in the $5.5-5.75 million range.
While Barbashev won't come cheap, he has shown his ability as a goal scorer and has put up good numbers over the last two seasons, and his trade to Vegas has shown just how dangerous he can be with a strong system around him.
Barbashev totalled 26 goals and 60 points in 2021-22, but had a slow start to his season with the Blues, scoring at a rate of just .49 points per game. Then, after being dealt to Vegas, he surged for 16 points in his final 23 games (.7 PPG), and his defensive metrics also rose. He finished the regular season with 45 points.
Then, in the playoffs, he was a force to be reckoned with at both ends of the ice and stayed hot with 18 points in 22 games to lead the Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup.
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Barbashev has a strong shot and playmaking ability, and he's a versatile, jack-of-all-trades forward you can put in a number of roles. The 27-year-old still has room to grow and is just hitting his prime, and he's also an extremely coachable player who has shown the ability to play a strong 200-foot game, battle for pucks and contribute both offensively and defensively.
He fits the bill for exactly what Washington needs, which is a player that knows how to win, can continue to hit his stride and provide needed secondary scoring help.
Washington is lacking right now on the middle-6. Anthony Mantha hasn't lived up to expectations, and the team is reportedly shopping the 28-year-old, while the same has been said for Evgeny Kuznetsov. Meanwhile, Conor Sheary and Craig Smith are set to hit the market, and it remains to be seen if Connor Brown will get another deal.
Per CapFriendly, the Capitals are expected to have $7.3 million in cap space to work with, and general manager Brian MacLellan could clear some space with some trades that he has to consider.
With Barbashev, there's not too much mystery when it comes to how he will perform on a nightly basis, given his work ethic. For Washington, the Russian could come in and give them a boost following his Cup run while helping the team rebound and return to playoff position as soon as possible.
Still, there will be heavy competition and an expensive multi-year deal following a somewhat small sample size could be risky, but it's worth it for MacLellan to look into if the price and term is right and if there's room made for it to work.
The free agent market opens on July 1 at 12 p.m. ET.