Vegas Golden Knights acquire Ivan Barbashev from St. Louis Blues for Zach Dean

The Vegas Golden Knights have made their first dip into the 2023 NHL trade deadline, acquiring centre Ivan Barbashev from the St. Louis Blues for prospect Zach Dean.

Barbashev, 27, is a pending unrestricted free agent in the final year of a two-year deal that carries a $2.25 million cap charge. He leaves the Blues with 29 points in 59 games this season and 178 in 410 games total. Oh, and as a former Stanley Cup champion, having helped the team win the sport's ultimate prize back in 2019.

Ivan Barbashev, acquired by VGK, is a playmaking middle-six forward who shoots the puck very rarely but occasionally shows a nice scoring touch. Defensive issues limit his effectiveness as a centre. #VegasBorn pic.twitter.com/UCfgc1b8be

— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) February 26, 2023

Meanwhile, the Blues managed to pry Dean away from the Golden Knights, a player we rated as the second-best prospect in their 21st-ranked system less than a year ago. My colleague Mitch Brown wrote about Dean in his assessment of the top prospect trade chips in the Golden Knights system and came away with the conclusion that he can compete for a roster spot as early as next season.

The latest Scout's Notebook checks in on five drafted prospects on the Gatineau Olympiques.

• Zach Dean #VegasBorn
• Robert Orr #LetsGoCanes
• Isaac Belliveau #LetsGoPens
• Tristan Luneau #FlyTogether
• Samuel Savoie

✍️: @DavidSt_Louis

🔗: https://t.co/bP41s56fvi pic.twitter.com/iDPm1R2RIT

— EP Rinkside (@EPRinkside) October 24, 2022

For a contending team like the Golden Knights and a Blues team that hopes to rebound quickly from this tumultuous season, this strikes me as a win-win deal. No notes.