Did the NY Islanders give up on Maxim Shabanov too soon? His Wild start suggests so

When the New York Islanders signed Maxim Shabanov in the summer of 2025, there was considerable excitement surrounding the arrival of one of the KHL's most coveted free agents.

The Islanders had beaten out several NHL teams for the Russian forward, who was coming off a 67-point season with Traktor Chelyabinsk. His offensive creativity and playmaking ability appeared to address a longstanding weakness in New York's lineup.

A little more than a year later, Shabanov is playing for the Minnesota Wild, and the Islanders might already have reason to question their decision to let him leave.

Through 13 games with Minnesota, Shabanov has four goals and nine points, an encouraging start after an uneven rookie season on Long Island.

Shabanov finished with five goals and 13 assists for 18 points in 44 games with the Islanders last season. While his production was modest, there were flashes of the offensive talent that made him such an attractive signing.

His quick hands, vision and willingness to create scoring opportunities were evident, even as he struggled with consistency and adjusting to the NHL's pace.

Still, Mathieu Darche elected not to tender him a qualifying offer, allowing him to sign a one-year, $1.6 million contract with Minnesota. For an Islanders organization that has struggled to develop offensive talent, the decision raises questions about patience.

Shabanov was hardly a finished product, but his 44 games represented a relatively limited opportunity to evaluate a player transitioning from the KHL.

Minnesota, with an established offensive core featuring Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy, may provide a better environment for his development.

Thirteen games certainly don't establish that the Islanders made a mistake. But Shabanov's early production suggests there was more offensive potential worth exploring.

And if he continues producing, New York's decision to move on so quickly will become increasingly difficult to defend.

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