The Ivan Barbashev Situation Just Got Worse… Vegas Golden Knights Plan Waivers & Contract Termination

In what can only be described as a Shakespearean tragedy with hockey sticks, the Vegas Golden Knights have reportedly decided to take the nuclear option with Ivan Barbashev. Yes, folks, it appears the team is planning to place the Russian forward on waivers, with whispers of a contract termination looming in the shadows like a bad plot twist.

Barbashev, who once donned the Knights’ jersey with pride (and maybe a bit too much swagger), is now skating on the thinnest of ice. Rumor has it the team is done with whatever off-ice drama, underperformance, or astrology sign incompatibility has led to this sudden downfall. Was it his passing game? His puck possession stats? Or did he simply eat the last bagel in the locker room? The world may never know.

Fans are, of course, reacting in their typical measured and reasonable manner—by storming social media with memes, conspiracy theories, and demands for justice. One particularly outraged supporter tweeted, “First Reaves, now Barbashev? Is McCrimmon even trying to run a hockey team, or is this just an episode of Survivor: NHL Edition?”

The Knights, meanwhile, are keeping mum, which, naturally, only adds fuel to the fire. A press release would be too much to ask, wouldn’t it? Instead, the team seems content to let the hockey rumor mill churn out its finest speculative nonsense.

And where does Barbashev go from here? Assuming no other NHL team picks him up (and let’s be real, that’s a bold assumption at this point), perhaps he could carve out a second career in the KHL, or better yet, join a celebrity hockey league where drama is not just tolerated—it’s encouraged.

For now, Vegas fans are left scratching their heads and wondering if their beloved franchise has started a new trend in hockey management: the pre-midseason implosion. But hey, at least it’s never boring in Sin City, right?