2 Sharks forwards the Detroit Red Wings need to inquire about
By Bob Heyrman
The Detroit Red Wings need to inquire about adding forward Alexander Barabanov from the San Jose Sharks.
Alexander Barabanov, 28, is a very intriguing forward who should garner plenty of interest ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline.
Barabanov is a playmaking winger that has become a consistent contributor and facilitator on the power play this season. The 28-year-old is off to a good start for the Sharks recording three goals and 15 points over the first 22 games of the season, with six of those 15 points coming on the power play.
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The talented winger has played his way onto the Sharks’ top power-play unit alongside Logan Couture, Timo Meier, Tomas Hertl, and Erik Karlsson. This is just Barabanov’s second full season in the NHL, but he has plenty of professional experience, having played parts of seven seasons in the KHL, five of which as a regular.
Last season Barabanov recorded ten goals and 39 points in 70 games, playing a hair over 17 minutes per night with the Sharks. The Detroit Red Wings, despite having a deeper roster than they’ve had in years, could still use a top-nine forward and someone that can contribute to the team’s second power-play unit.
The Detroit Red Wings will be without Tyler Bertuzzi until the second or third week of January, and then his future with the organization is up in the air. It seems that the pending free agent had been at the center of Detroit’s trade talks over the past two or three years. With no extension in sight and Dylan Larkin also without a new contract, this is likely the year Bertuzzi is dealt ahead of the March 3rd deadline unless the Red Wings are in or on the cusp of a playoff spot as the deadline approaches.
Barabanov carries a very affordable $2.5 million cap hit this season and next before becoming a UFA.