Yakov Trenin sees “a little bit of Kucherov” in Maxim Shabanov, who believes the Wild can contend for the Stanley Cup and is working to earn an opportunity alongside Kirill Kaprizov.
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Maxim Shabanov is still adjusting to his new surroundings with the Minnesota Wild, but one teammate who has known him much longer than most already has a pretty intriguing comparison for his game.
A little Nikita Kucherov.
Yakov Trenin and Shabanov grew up in the same hometown, went through the same hockey school and even skated together for a few weeks this summer before reporting to Wild training camp.
So when Trenin was asked to describe what type of player Minnesota acquired, he pointed toward one of the NHL's most dynamic offensive players.
“He has a little bit of Kucherov in him,” Trenin said. “He can slow down the game and see the ice very well. He's a smooth skater. He can shoot too. He's a playmaker.”
Trenin wasn't finished.
“He can shoot. He can drive to the net,” he said. “He has all the tools.”
That's certainly high praise for Shabanov as he begins his first training camp with the Wild.
The Russian winger is coming off a season with the New York Islanders in which he spent time lower in the lineup and was scratched at times. Shabanov isn't interested in looking backward, though.
“It's history,” Shabanov said. “New season and new year. I will try to work.”
There could be a significant opportunity waiting for him in Minnesota.
Shabanov has already gotten a look alongside Kirill Kaprizov, potentially giving the Wild another skilled Russian winger to complement their superstar.
Shabanov knows playing alongside Kaprizov isn't something that will simply be handed to him.
“He a good player. I happy to play with him,” Shabanov said. “I need try everyday work to play with him. Such a good guy and good skill.”
Kaprizov has also helped Shabanov get acclimated to his new surroundings.
“Good. He good player. So skilled,” Shabanov said. “He a good guy. Funny guy. He try to help me.”
Shabanov isn't navigating the transition alone.
Along with Kaprizov, Minnesota's roster includes fellow Russians Trenin and Danila Yurov. Shabanov and Trenin have a particularly long history together, having grown up in the same city and played for the same hockey school.
“I know Yakov. I know Danila,” Shabanov said. “We [from] one city and every guy help me in the Russian group and every guy in no Russian group help me. I happy to be here.”
Sep 21, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Minnesota Wild forwardMaximShabanov(49) celebrates with right wing Danila Yurov (22) and center Yakov Trenin (13) after he scores a goal against the Chicago Blackhawks during the third period at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images.Wild coach John Hynes has also seen progress from Shabanov as camp has continued.
“He got better and better as the game went,” Hynes said. “I think overall in camp, he's gotten better and better. He understands kind of what's going on.”
Part of the adjustment has been learning the structure and details Minnesota wants from him, even in seemingly simple portions of practice.
“We've been able to do a lot, even in practice,” Hynes said. “Even our warmup shooting drills, there's structure to them. So I think it's coming more and more naturally to him.”
That progress translated into results when Shabanov found the back of the net in preseason action.
“I thought last night he had multiple scoring opportunities,” Hynes said. “He got the nice goal on the one, so he keeps taking steps.”
Shabanov could have pursued other opportunities before landing in Minnesota. But when asked why he ultimately chose the Wild, his answer had nothing to do with where he might play in the lineup.
He believes Minnesota can contend for something much bigger.
“It's a good team,” Shabanov said. “This team have chance to win [Stanley] Cup and I want help team win a Cup.”
There is still plenty for Shabanov to prove before the regular season begins. He isn't assuming he'll play in the top six or alongside Kaprizov.
He's trying to earn it.
But between Hynes seeing continued improvement and a longtime friend seeing “a little bit of Kucherov” in his game, the early reviews have certainly been intriguing.
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