- Justin Bailey signed a one-year deal with the KHL’s Barys Astana
- The 31-year-old forward played 141 NHL games with four teams after Buffalo drafted him in 2013
- Read below for what the move means and where Bailey has been
Justin Bailey is taking his game to Kazakhstan.
The 31-year-old forward signed a one-year deal with the KHL’s Barys Astana, per Pro Hockey Rumors. The move had been rumored since mid-July, and now it’s done.
Bailey spent last season in the AHL with the San Diego Gulls after Anaheim added him early in 2025. This is his first crack at the KHL.
He was a second-round pick once. Buffalo grabbed him 52nd overall in 2013, and he made his NHL debut with the Sabres in February 2016.
His NHL run never quite stuck, though. Bailey bounced through the Sabres, Flyers, Canucks, and Sharks organizations, stacking up far more AHL mileage than NHL time. He finished with 141 games in the show, good for 10 goals and 13 assists.
Barys is a familiar landing spot for North American players chasing regular minutes and a steady paycheck. The club recently added goaltender Hunter Shepard, and Bailey gives them another body up front with size and NHL experience.
Others are making the same jump this summer. Nils Aman left Vancouver for the SHL, and Julien Gauthier signed with Brynas after years of grinding through the NHL fringe.
Astana hands Bailey something North America rarely did: a top-six role and steady ice time.
