Golden Knights Sign Impending UFA To Extension

As expected, the Reilly Smith trade earlier in the day has had an immediate domino effect on the Vegas Golden Knights' summer plans, as they've now signed key Stanley Cup contributor and pending UFA Ivan Barbashev to a 5-year extension.

5x$5M for Barbashev https://t.co/PMb2QSCuls

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) June 28, 2023

It's a $5M AAV for the top-six forward, as the Golden Knights fend off the hounds on the coming free agent market. It appears to be a team-friendly deal, as he was expected to get more term and more AAV on the open market. It's also the exact same salary they sent out in Smith.

Barbashev established himself as a valuable member of the Golden Knights from the moment he arrived in a trade deadline deal from the St. Louis Blues. The 27-year-old brings solid playmaking skills plus a bit of physicality to the Vegas attack. He totalled 16 points in 23 regular season games after joining the team, and was one of their most valuable players in the playoffs, with 18 points in 22 games and a plus/minus of plus-14. 

Another win for the defending Cup champs. 

Photo: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports