The 2023-24 season wasn't easy for the San Jose Sharks, and a former player tells the toll it took on him.
After a handful of seasons with the San Jose Sharks, Alexander Barabanov departed the NHL for his native Russia and the KHL. Barabanov played 206 NHL games and recorded over 100 points, but he didn’t feel he was getting the proper offers as a free agent this offseason.
Pairing his 13 total points with a 19-54-9 record, Barabanov felt like he was losing his joy for the game of hockey. He told Responsible Gambling that he enjoyed his time in the NHL, but the 2023-24 Sharks took the wind from his sails."You run around without the puck and don't understand why you need all this. We didn't even try to keep the puck… It was the most simple hockey that kills the player in you.
193 of Barabanov’s 206 career games came with the Sharks while his first 13 came with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2021. In San Jose, Barabanov found some rhythm, scoring 15 goals and 32 assists for 47 points in 2022-23. The Sharks were still one of the worst teams in the NHL, but Barabanov was a steady presence.
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