For a lot of players in this league, 23 goals is a career year. A mark of distinction. But for Ivan Barbashev, last season left him wanting more.
“I mean it’s great to score 20 goals for every single player,” said Barbashev. “It’s hard to do in this league, and that all comes with the help of your teammates. You’re probably not going to do it by yourself. So, yeah, good season, but there are a lot of things I hope to fix moving into the next season.”
Barbashev is honest, grounded, and never satisfied. An upper body injury sustained last December derailed what was looking like a career season production-wise.
Barbashev had 15 goals and 15 assists in 31 games before the injury but only 21 points in the 39 games he played after.
“You don’t want to give any excuses as to why you’re struggling or not,” he said. “But that injury just took me quite a lot of time to get back to it. Even though I was feeling very confident coming back … it’s going to take time to get used to it. But I just didn’t expect it to take that much time.”
That honesty, that self-awareness, is why he’s so valuable inside a room where expectations never waver. In Vegas, the goal is always the same: win.
Vegas beat the Wild in the opening round of the playoffs but fell to Edmonton in the second. For Barbashev, it’s part of the cycle — win, lose, learn, and try again.
“As you play every single season, you learn from it,” he said. “We won the Cup, then we go into the next one and lose in the first round. Last year, we lost to Edmonton because we just couldn’t score enough,” said the 29-year-old. “But I think everybody’s really excited going into the season. We’ve lost some really good players, but at the same time, we got new players that are going to fit in our system. A lot of good problems to have, a lot of talent in our lineup. I just have a good feeling. It’s going to be a good season.”
Barbashev came over to Vegas in a deadline trade during the 2022-23 season and paid instant dividends playing on Jack Eichel’s wing. It’s a spot just about every player in the NHL envies.
“Well, I’ve been playing with Jack for two years and it’s been unbelievable, especially when you see him take steps forward,” Barbashev said. “He’s a hell of a player. He took a step forward every single season, and he keeps trying to get better. It’s a lot of fun to play with him.”
Barbashev’s summer was a mix of family, rest, and preparation. Miami with the kids. A trip to Turkey. Back to Florida and then to Vegas in time for the start of school. Daniil, his oldest, just turned five and is already skating with the in the junior Golden Knights program.
Being a hockey dad is something new for Barbashev and he’s working on tempering expectations.
“Sometimes it’s pretty frustrating because you try to teach him some stuff, but he doesn’t really get it yet,” Barbashev admitted with a smile. “So, you just have a little patience. But he enjoys it. He loves it, and every single day he asks me when he’s going to skate.”
Barbashev and his wife Ksenia also have toddler Timofey at home. And then there’s Maxim, Ivan's younger brother, who spends summers with the family and has become a fixture in the household — and a favorite uncle.
“Maxim is with us all the time in the off-season. The kids love him, and he plays with them all the time. He even puts our older son to bed sometimes,” said Barbashev.
Maxim, 21, is a New York Rangers draft pick trying to climb the ladder in pro hockey splitting time between the AHL and ECHL the last two seasons.
Barbashev says consistency and added mental strength are keys for him this season.
“It’s a really long season,” he said. “Every day you practice, play games, back-to-backs, travel. So, just mentally get better preparing for the games, and just be consistent for every single game.”
