Alexander Barabanov

Barabanov struggled to find his game after arriving in North America in the fall of 2020, but he played better following a trade from Toronto to San Jose and took his game to another level in his first full year with the Sharks. Barabanov posted 10 goals and 39 points in 70 games, both perfectly reasonable totals for a team lacking offensive weapons. He added eight points with the man advantage while seeing 1:51 of power-play time per game. Barabanov's new two-year, $5 million contract ensures he will have a prominent role with the club once again, although it's probably not enough to make him a fantasy option in standard formats.

Barabanov spent last season with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL, where he had 20 points in 43 games. His best year in the KHL was 2018-19, when he had 17 goals and 46 points in 58 appearances. The 26-year-old winger joined the Maple Leafs on a one-year contract for the 2020-21 season, and he'll compete with Nick Robertson for playing time in training camp. While Robertson is a top prospect, and Barabanov is undrafted, his professional experience in Russia may give him the edge for a bottom-six job this year. Fantasy managers shouldn't expect much out of Barabanov, as he doesn't have a decorated history of filling the stat sheet.