The NY Islanders did not extend a qualifying offer to Max Shabanov

The deadline has come and gone, and surprisingly, the NY Islanders have not extended a qualifying offer to Max Shabanov. Along with Shabanov, Marc Gatcomb, Matt Maggio, Tristan Lennox, and Ruslan Iskhakov did not receive a qualifying offer.

Despite the lack of a qualifying offer from the Islanders, the organization and Shabanov can still reach a deal before free agency begins on Wednesday at 12:00 pm, but all signs point to the Russian winger hitting the open market.

Shabanov, 25, played his first season in the NHL last year, coming to North America as a free agent from Traktor Chelyabinsk in the KHL. Shabanov struggled with injuries early in the season and found it difficult to find consistent playing time when healthy.

Playing in 44 games this past season, Shabanov scored five goals while adding 13 assists. He flashed the skill that made him the top European free agent last summer, but grappled with doing so on a consistent basis.

When Mathieu Darche and the Islanders inked Shabanov to a one-year deal, they beat out plenty of suitors, most notably the NY Rangers and the Philadelphia Flyers.

Before signing Shabanov, the Islanders signed Max Tsyplakov in the summer of 2024, also joining as the top European free agent. Tsyplakov showed promise in his rookie campaign, scoring 10 times and adding 25 assists, but failed to do so in his second season, traded before the deadline in the deal that the Islanders used to acquire Ondrej Palat.

We'll see if the Islanders and Shabanov's camp can reach some sort of deal over the next day, but it appears he'll be hitting the market and could join one of the Isles' Metro Division rivals.

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