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FN’s 2026 Flames summer prospect rankings – HM: Egor Barabanov

Photo credit: Photo by Natalie Shaver/OHL Images

By Flash Stevens

Aug 10, 2026, 10:00 EDTUpdated: Aug 9, 2026, 19:06 EDT

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The annual Calgary Flames prospect countdown list continues, with yet another honourable mention that received votes from our staff on the docket. This one is all about the upcoming UMass centre, Egor Barabanov.

Egor Barabanov

Forward: shoots left
Born May 16, 2006 (age 20) in St. Petersburg, Russia
6’0”, 181 pounds
Drafted in the fourth round (100th overall) by Calgary in the 2026 NHL Draft

Egor Barabanov has a very unique path to hockey relevance. Not too many Russian born players spend their entire teenage years playing in the United States, but that’s exactly what happened when Barabanov’s family moved to New Jersey in his teenage years.

He started playing in U13 AAA in New Jersey and was an instant stand out. He was a playmaking, passing centre that could shoot when he needed to. Commanding vision set him apart and allowed him to gain more opportunity as he shifted into the American high school system. He just kept putting up more numbers every season until the Sioux Falls Stampede of the USHL were able to wrangle him up and get him in a league with a) better competition and b) more eyes on them.

His final U16 year saw him get 10 games in the USHL, posting just 2 assists. This would set the stage for his first draft eligible season in 2024.

The next season was underwhelming, to say the least. The Sioux Falls squad didn’t have any high end players themselves and the learning curve left a lot to be desired. He was pretty consistent. Getting around 4-5 points every 15 games and ending with 17 points in 60 games. Needless to say he was not drafted, but this is an important lesson. Don’t quit on your dreams, sometimes you just need more opportunity.

After just 3 games with Sioux Falls in 2025 he was traded to the Madison Capitals for a second round USHL draft pick and future considerations. This was where he started getting more opportunities. (Fun fact: Flames super prospect Ethan Wyttenbach played for Sioux Falls the year Barabanov was traded!)

The Capitals were led by future first round standout, Ryker Lee, who finished 30 whole points ahead of Barabanov that year. This shows pretty significantly that Barabanov, while improving, still had a ways to go to be at a noticeable and desired level. So far now he’s been given two opportunities in quality leagues and each time took a step and improved. This got the attention of the Saginaw Spirit who were trying to procure some more talent as the CHL saw a lot of 18-19-year-olds head the NCAA route.

They brought in Barabanov and stapled him to future 2026 first round pick of the Ducks, Nikita Klepov (already signed his ELC), and a name many Canadians will know after this draft cycle in Dima Zhilkin. Two of the most talented linemates you could ask for; how did Barabanov respond?

He finished fourth in the entire league in scoring (with 28 goals – 63 assists – 91 points).

Now that’s what you should expect from a 20 year old in the CHL. Roughly around point per game for the draft year and then, ideally, striving for 90-100 points in their age 19/20 seasons. Barabanov may have been in other leagues those years, but he showed at age 19 that he was right where he belonged.

For even more on his style of play, here’s a scouting report from Brock Otten of McKeen’s Hockey (and the OHL Prospects blog):

Barabanov was an immediate impact player in Saginaw, developing outstanding chemistry with Ducks first rounder Nikita Klepov and top 2027 prospect Dima Zhilkin. Right out of the chute, the three were among the best lines in the OHL. Barabanov really excels as a playmaker because he’s smart and he’s fairly competitive. Always keeps his feet moving in the offensive end and is tenacious in puck pursuit in the offensive zone. Not huge, but he controls the wall well and is one of those guys that has eyes in the back of his head. I think where Calgary selected Barabanov was a great range. I like his upside as a middle six player, but I’m also somewhat skeptical of his ability to translate his skill set to higher levels. Well rounded skill set, but he doesn’t have any elite qualities, nor is he the kind of dynamic skater that you’d want from a forward of his size. I’m really curious to see how he performs as a freshman at UMass. Kristian Epperson, a Kings pick and former Saginaw top producer, struggled at times in his NCAA debut with a similar profile.

Expectations for the 2026-27 season

Egor Barabanov now gets to spend his D+3 playing for the University of Massachusetts, UMass, in the NCAA. While not a true freshman, that means there should be some expectations for more offence. Barabanov, who has improved everywhere he’s gone, should be up for the challenge.

First round picks that are freshman typically go point-per-game if they are going to be good. Typically – by Barabanov’s age – they’re entering their second season in the NCAA, meaning you are hoping to at least get to that 0.75 points-per-game out of him.

I’m hoping for 7-11 goals, but more importantly I’m hoping he can hit 17-22 assists in the 30-35 games the NCAA will provide. If he can still show successful flashes of his playmaking ability there’s no reason to believe he can’t be a solid piece for the Flames to keep and monitor looking forward. There’s also no need to rush. If he needs to spend 2-3 years in the NCAA the Flames could then bring in a more polished 23 year old to the Wranglers in the future with, depending on how the development goes, a chance in the NHL.

The Flames roster will look almost nothing like it does to start this season in three years. Backlund/Strome will (most likely) be gone and the wings will have gone through a turnover. There very well could be a spot for him should he continue to progress.

I don’t, at this time anyways, expect Barabanov to be a top line NHL player. I think his absolute best ceiling would be a playmaking second line C, but it’s more likely he ends up somewhere between AHL scorer and third line NHLer. His skill and ability to read plays do set him apart, it’s just a matter of seeing if that skill can apply when the players all get faster and the windows of opportunity become smaller and smaller.

I like the bet. He was 17th on my list in a similar tier as Aydar Suniev and Jonathan Castagna. Let’s see if he can rise up the ranks for next year.

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