Maple Leafs sign KHL forward Alexander Barabanov

The Toronto Maple Leafs have inked KHLer Alexander Barabanov to a one-year, entry-level contract for the 2020-21 season, the club announced Tuesday.

Barabanov's deal is worth $925,000, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun. That's the exact amount Toronto paid Ilya Mikheyev when it signed him out of the same league last May.

The Maple Leafs and Arizona Coyotes were reportedly the favorites to land Barabanov.

The 25-year-old spent seven years in the KHL with SKA St. Petersburg, helping the team win the Gagarin Cup in 2015 and 2017. He produced a career-high 17 goals and 46 points across 58 games in 2018-19, but Barabanov managed only 11 goals and 20 points over 43 contests this season.

He's represented Russia multiple times on the international stage, winning gold with the Olympic team in 2018, capturing bronze at the 2014 World Junior Hockey Championship, and playing at the World Championship on three occasions, winning bronze twice.

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