Bridgeport Islanders Head Coach Rick Kowalsky On Ruslan Iskhakov: 'Would Have Loved To See Him Here'

We will be covering Iskhakov throughout his KHL season. He plays on the third line for CSKA and has two goals and one assist through three games.

EAST MEADOW, NY -- This summer, New York Islanders prospect Ruslan Iskhakov and his agent believed it was best for him to head overseas and play in the KHL. 

The 24-year-old pending restricted free agent had done all he could at the AHL level to earn a call-up, as he was a back-to-back AHL All-Star.

He played two NHL games last season — Game 82 and Game 4 against the Carolina Hurricanes — but winning an NHL gig for 2024-25 wasn't a realistic option.

It was more likely that if Iskhakov did return, signing his qualifying offer, he would need to show well in Bridgeport for a third season and hope that he could stick whenever his next NHL opportunity arose.

That NHL opportunity would likely come via an injury, given the number of forwards the Islanders have rostered. 

Going to the KHL allows Iskhakov to continue his development and also opens the door for him to return following his two-year deal with CSKA Moscow. 

New York holds his rights until he turns 27. 

Not seeing him at training camp is weird, as his moves and offensive prowess always stood out. 

But, at the end of the day, Iskhakov did what he thought was best and the Islanders are moving on, for now. 

"That's his decision to go over there. I would love to have seen him here," Bridgeport Islanders head coach Rick Kowalsky said after day two of rookie camp. "I thought he did a good job when he came up last year. I think he understands, and he knows he's not going to overpower anybody, but he's certainly not afraid to go to those hard areas. And then, he has elite skill.

"He made that decision and we got to live with it and move on."

His absence creates a hole in Bridgeport, production-wise, as he led the team across the board in 2023-24, with 18 goals and 32 assists for 50 points in 69 games. 

But his absence also creates opportunities for others, such as Matthew Maggio, Alex Jeffries, and William Dufour, to name a few, as they try to become more offensive leaders.

We will be covering Iskhakov throughout his KHL season. He plays on the third line for CSKA and has two goals and one assist through three games.