A dive into potential NY Islanders free agent target Maxim Shabanov

Yesterday, Ethan Sears of the NY Post reported that the NY Islanders, Toronto Maple Leafs, Nashville Predators, and Utah Hockey Club have shown interest in KHL forward Maxim Shabanov. While that number is at just four teams as of now, that number will likely increase toward the end of the season.

So who exactly is Maxim Shabanov?

Shabanov has played his entire life in Russia, with the Traktor Chelyabinsk organization, becoming a regular in the KHL beginning in the 2022-23 season.

NY Islanders interested in Shabanov

In his first season in the Russian top division, Shabanov scored 18 goals and added 13 assists, improving those numbers to 25 goals and 25 assists in his second season.

Shabanov is a highly skilled winger, finishing 16th in KHL points last season and 9th in goals. This season he’s currently tied for second in points with 14 through 12 games. 

With that incredible skill Shabanov possesses, he scored one of the goals of the season last year, pulling off a Michigan-style goal from behind the goal, giving his team a 5-4 lead in the third period of Traktor’s game against Avengard Omsk.

“There is consistency in his actions, he is a talented player,” says former KHLer Evgeny Artyukhin according to Alina Savanova of Express Sport (translated from Russian.) He has been playing brightly for several seasons.”

The biggest knock on Shabanov is his size. He's listed at 5’8” and 157 lbs, which would make him extremely undersized as far as NHL standards go. 

The Islanders have had a player in their ranks of similar stature in Ruslan Iskhakov, who left the organization this off-season to join the KHL. Both players are similar sizes, yet in Iskhakov’s two seasons playing in the Islanders organization, he appeared in just two games. 

It’s hard to imagine Lou Lamoriello would be interested in a player similar to someone who let walk, but maybe he sees something different in Shabanov.

While there will surely be stiff competition to acquire Shabanov’s services, the Islanders have some advantages on their side. This off-season they convinced Maxim Tsyplakov, the top international free agent out of the KHL to sign. The Islanders have four Russians on their roster, the second most of any NHL franchise, behind the Columbus Blue Jackets. And maybe most importantly, Jim Paliafito. Paliafito and his relationship with Russian agents has become a useful tool dating back to his time with the Maple Leafs. 

If Shabanov is someone Lamoriello is serious about targeting at the end of the season, it’s hard not to like the Islanders’ chances of convincing him to sign.