The Hockey News can confirm that the New York Islanders are signing KHL forward Maxim Shabanov.

Ethan Sears of the New York Post reported in October that the Islanders had an interest in Shabanov, an interest that remained throughout the season.

I did hear that back in April, before the Darche hiring, the Islanders came close to signing Shabanov. It just didn’t come to fruition at that time.

It has now. 

This past season with Traktor, Shabanov recorded 67 points (23 goals, 44 assists) in 65 games before adding 20 points (10 goals, 10 assists) in 21 playoff games.

It wasn’t just a one-hit-wonder season, as he recorded 50 points (25 goals, 25 assists) in 64 games during the 2023–24 season, with 11 points (three goals, eight assists) in 14 playoff games that year.

And now we get to my high school yearbook quote: “Judge me by my size, do you?”

I was…uhm…pretty short.

Shabanov, a right winger, is 5'8" and 156 lbs, with a game based on agility and speed, complemented by soft hands. He will be tied with four NHLers — Mats Zuccarello, Logan Stankoven, Cole Caufield, and Colin Blackwell — for the shortest players in the league.

It’s worth noting that the Islanders had someone with a similar build and similar skill set in Ruslan Iskhakov, who left for the KHL following the 2023–24 season. Iskhakov skated in just one NHL game, a playoff game, with the team owning his rights until age 27 — he’s 24.

So, here’s the difference.

Iskhakov, playing for CSKA Moscow, recorded 29 points (12 goals, 17 assists) in 60 games. Shabanov, at the same age, recorded 38 more points — 11 more goals & 27 more assists. He did play five extra games.

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