Former Player’s Brutal Assessment of Sharks

Alexander Barabanov, who recently parted ways with the San Jose Sharks to move to his native country of Russia, did not hold back in his assessment of the team’s playing style after cutting links with the NHL franchise. After hitting free agency and signing with Ak Bars Kazan in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), the former Sharks forward shared some harsh criticism regarding his time in San Jose.

In an interview with RG.org published on August 28, Barabanov called out the Sharks for playing what he described as “primitive hockey.” Barabanov elaborated on his frustrations, dropping fire take after fire take. “I got much pleasure from the hockey processes, from the whole league, but in the last year, I suffered from injuries, and the team played primitive hockey,” Barabanov said. “You run around without the puck and don’t understand why you need all this. We didn’t even try to keep the puck, play for your partner. It was the most simple hockey that kills the player in you.”

Barabanov’s comments come after a dismal season for the Sharks, who finished dead last in the NHL with a record of 19–54-9. This marked the fourth-worst winning percentage in the franchise’s history and the second-lowest since the NHL implemented a salary cap after the 2004-05 lockout. Despite these struggles, the Sharks secured the first overall pick in the NHL Draft Lottery, selecting Macklin Celebrini. “After all, this helped them get [Macklin] Celebrini,” Barabanov said. “I hope that the team will finish a rebuild. They have many good young players with great future.” The 29-year-old forward also had a challenging season last year, his last in the NHL, managing just 4 goals and 13 points in 48 games.