from Luke Fox of Sportsnet,

The first time Ivan Barbashev lifted the Stanley Cup, back in 2019, he was an impending free agent. He made his arbitration case on three goals and six points over a 25-game championship run as an RFA depth forward with the St. Louis Blues.

The second time Barbashev won the Cup, Tuesday, he is an impending free agent. But after the rental pickup’s seven goals and 18 points in Vegas’s 22-game championship run, the edgy winger holds all the leverage.

Following impressive playoffs, Barbashev will have many suitors in free agencyPlay VideoPlayMuteCurrent Time 0:00/Duration 3:01Loaded: 5.44% CaptionsFullscreen

The 27-year-old let the world know he can hang with elite forwards (Jonathan Marchessault and Jack Eichel) and deliver painful checks to hardnosed opponents (Radko Gudas).

That’s a rare combination, and it will get the Moscow native paid.

“I’ve always played some kind of a physical game. I think that’s what I brought over here. Just trying to bring some energy,” Barbashev says.

“They didn’t ask me to play a skill role, to be honest. It was up to me. Because when you play with Jack and Marchy, you got to make some plays for them, and you got to be an option for them as well.”

Until 2021-22, when he broke out for 26 goals and 60 points in St. Louis, Barbashev had been a career fourth-liner. Now that he has a taste of top-six life, he doesn’t want to look back.

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