Maxim Shabanov will get first crack at the NY Islanders' top line

Entering his first season in North America, Maxim Shabanov will be given every opportunity to succeed with the NY Islanders, as it appears that he’ll get first crack at the top line alongside Bo Horvat and Jonathan Drouin, according to Head Coach Patrick Roy.

"But like I said, I mean, it's just a start, you know?" Roy said today at the Islanders Golf Outing, according to Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News, "I mean, things will change. I mean, I almost regret telling you, because I feel like you know you might look bad the next day because things might change so overnight, you never know."

A highly skilled forward out of the KHL, Shabanov has the capacity to shine in a top-6 role, especially alongside players of the caliber of Horvat and Drouin.

"I was watching a lot of clips of Shabanov," Roy went on to say. "When he was in the playoffs against a former player of mine, [Alexander] Radulov, and they lost in the final. But he was playing really well. I mean, he's a small player, but I feel like he doesn't know he's small. So that's pretty intriguing for me, and I think for everyone here, because we're curious to see him, how he's going to bring his skills and everything."

Shabanov’s size that Roy refers to has been the only question mark surrounding the 25-year-old's game. Standing only 5’8”, Shabanov will need to endure the physicality and longer schedule of an NHL season. But even Bridgeport Islanders head coach, Rocky Thompson, who is leading Rookie Camp, has praised Shabanov’s physicality during the first four days of camp.

Roy will surely test out multiple lines throughout training camp and pre-season, but Shabanov will have perhaps the first crack at playing on the top line.