**Former Rangers Draft Pick Signs AHL Deal with Wolf Pack**
Maxim Barbashev, a fifth-round selection by the New York Rangers in the 2022 NHL Draft, has secured a one-year AHL contract with the Hartford Wolf Pack, despite not signing an entry-level contract with the Rangers.
The 20-year-old forward made his professional debut late last season with the Wolf Pack, signing an amateur tryout contract in April after completing his fourth year in major junior hockey with the QMJHL. He played one game with the Wolf Pack on April 20 against Springfield but did not record any points.
Barbashev, who stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 191 pounds, registered 35 points (14 goals, 21 assists) in 59 games with two QMJHL teams last season. In 2022-23, he scored 32 goals and totaled 65 points in 67 games with Moncton, following a 15-goal season with them the previous year.
He will join three other players from the 2022 Rangers draft class on the Wolf Pack roster this season: forward Adam Sykora (second round), center Bryce McConnell-Barker (third round), and defenseman Victor Mancini, who was selected in the fifth round, just two spots ahead of Barbashev.
Among this group, Sykora has the most professional experience, having played a full season with Hartford at 19 years old. Known for his aggressive play, Sykora recorded 23 points (eight goals, 15 assists) in 66 games with the Wolf Pack last season.
McConnell-Barker participated in four Calder Cup Playoff games with Hartford after finishing his junior season with the Soo Greyhounds in the OHL this spring. Mancini, who became a regular on the Wolf Pack’s defensive lineup after his collegiate career at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, contributed three assists in seven regular-season AHL games and another three assists in 10 playoff games.
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