Skilled forward leaves NHL in shock departure as Sharks snub trade request

This development aligns with recent rumors suggesting mutual interest between Barabanov and the KHL.

Barabanov's agent, Yuri Nikolaev, revealed to Pavel Panychev of Championat that his client attracted interest from several KHL teams, ultimately leading to a two-year agreement with Ak Bars Kazan.

Barabanov had sought a trade at the deadline, drawing attention from NHL teams such as the Tampa Bay Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs. Despite this, the San Jose Sharks chose to retain the talented forward, who is now making the move to the KHL.

At 30 years old, Barabanov will return to his native Russia, where he began his professional hockey career with seven seasons before joining the NHL in the 2020�21 season with the Toronto Maple Leafs. After 13 games with Toronto, he was traded to the Sharks, where he spent four seasons and amassed 106 points.

Barabanov joins a trend of Russian-born NHL players who have returned to the KHL after stints in North America.

Source: House of Hockey
Talented forward leaves the NHL after the Sharks don't respect his trade request

Credit: KHL & Euro Talk
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