Breaking: Vegas Golden Knights acquire Ivan Barbashev from St. Louis Blues

Ivan Barbashev is finally on the move. After rumors over the past week about the St. Louis Blues dealing their talented winger to teams across the NHL, the Vegas Golden Knights managed to snag him.

Ivan Barbashev dealt to Vegas Golden Knights for high-end prospect

The Golden Knights were in the mix on a number of players, most notably Timo Meier. However, with their limited cap space available, Vegas may have been pigeonholed into looking at other avenues. With the Blues' rebuild coming to a head at this trade deadline, the Knights didn’t have to break the bank for Barbashev.

The return for Barbashev is Zach Dean (the Golden Knights’ first round pick in 2021). Dean is listed as the Golden Knights' third-best prospect and currently plays for the Gatineau Olympiques in the QMJHL.

In 38 games with the Olympiques, Dean has 49 points with 24 goals and 25 assists and projects to be a major player in the NHL. It couldn’t be a better return for the Blues, who, due to Barbashev’s team friendly contract, didn’t have to take any major cap crunchers and got a high upside prospect instead.

For the Golden Knights, it’s just business as usual. Ever since entering the league in 2017, they have been in win-now mode, and their free agent acquisitions and deadline moves prove it. Ivan Barbashev is only just the most recent move for a team doing anything they can to compete for a Stanley Cup with an aging core.

In 59 games this season, Ivan Barbashev has 29 points with 10 goals. Ivan Barbashev shouldn’t be asked to do as much in Vegas , and should fit in nicely to a line with goal scorers Reilly Smith and WIlliam Karlsson.

Expect that lines’ production to improve tenfold, as Barbashev has shown to have the skill to be one of the best setup men in the league.

Who won the trade?

St Louis Blues v Vegas Golden Knights

It’s hard to say there’s a loser to this trade, as both teams got exactly what they were after, but it might lean slightly towards St. Louis. The Golden Knights have been loose in years past in trading first-round picks and highly regarded prospects.

Sometimes it’s worked for them like in the case of Peyton Krebs and Nolan Patrick. Other times, it hasn’t worked out, like in the Nick Suzuki deal. If Zach Dean is going to develop into a top-end NHL talent, then the Knights have lost this deal, as a three-month rental of Ivan Barbashev probably isn’t worth it. Unless, of course, the Knights turn it into a Stanley Cup.