Former San Jose Sharks forward Justin Bailey has signed a one-year deal with Kazakh club Barys Astana of the Russian Kontinental Hockey League.
Bailey, who was drafted by his hometown Buffalo Sabres in the second round of the 2013 NHL Draft, joined the Sharks organization during the 2023-24 season. Initially, he signed just an American Hockey League level deal with the San Jose Barracuda, but after a month or so, he earned an NHL deal and was called back up to the NHL for the first time since the 2021-22 season.
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Bailey appeared in 59 games for the Sharks in his return to the NHL, playing bottom-six minutes on a struggling team. He scored five goals, having last scored during the 2017-18 season while still a member of the Sabres organization, and 14 points. At the end of the season, he was named the Sharks’ nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, but the award ended up going to Connor Ingram of the Arizona Coyotes.
At 31 years of age, Bailey is heading overseas for the first time in his career. Since departing the Sharks organization, he had been a mainstay in the AHL for the San Diego Gulls, the Anaheim Ducks‘ affiliate.
