With the remainder of the KHL season canceled due to the pandemic, the annual European free agent sweepstakes are moving up from the usual timeframe in May, and it sounds like a decision could be coming soon from Barabanov:
A 5’10, 192-pound left shot, Barabanov finished top 20 in KHL scoring last season with 46 points in 56 games for SKA St. Petersburg. His numbers were down this season with 20 points in 43 games, but as Elliotte Friedman noted in a 31 Thoughts column back in November, his ice time opportunity was reduced early in the year (from 15:26 to 13:19 in the first 12 games) and he got off to a slow start with three points in the opening 12 games.