St. Louis Blues Sign Young Forward To Extension

The St. Louis Blues have signed forward Ivan Barbashev to a two-year, $4.5 million contract. It will have an average annual value of $2.25 million.

HE'S BACK! Ivan Barbashev has agreed to terms on a two-year contract with the Blues. https://t.co/uCMsJGisGv #stlblues pic.twitter.com/rnkk0QxhU6
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) July 30, 2021

The Blues notably protected Barbashev over Vladimir Tarasenko in the Expansion Draft, so it was clear that they wanted him to keep him around. Due to a handful of key departures upfront, Barbashev could very well see an increase in his playing time. It would not be too surprising if he is a third-liner moving forward. He also should be utilized more on the penalty kill, as he is a solid two-way forward who plays the physical game well.

In 38 games this season, Barbashev had five goals and 12 total points. His best statistical season came in 2019-20, as he scored 11 goals and recorded 26 points in 69 games. If he continue to produce similar offense to that, he will be a solid depth scorer for them.

Barbashev is still just 25-years-old, so he could even progress more. That would be awesome to see, especially with his affordable cap hit.