Islanders Prospect Ruslan Iskhakov Named Top Scorer Of Moscow Mayor's Cup Ahead Of First KHL Season

Because Ruslan Iskhakov remains a New York Islanders prospect, we'll be following him throughout the KHL season with the help of Hockey News Hub.

This summer, New York Islanders prospect Ruslan Iskahkov decided to sign a two-year deal with the KHL's CSKA Moscow.

The 23-year-old was an AHL All-Star in each of his first two seasons with Bridgeport, but with no real clear-cup spot on the NHL roster after playing in one regular season game and one playoff game, Iskhakov and his agent believed going overseas was best for his development. 

Because Iskhakov played in CSKA Moscow's junior program, they owned his rights if he ever came to the KHL, which is why he signed with them and not another team. 

Although Iskhakov won't play for the Islanders in 2024-25, the club owns his rights until he turns 27. 

Because he remains an Islanders' prospect, we'll be following him throughout the KHL season with the help of Hockey News Hub. 

This past weekend, Iskhakov and CKSA Moscow competed in the Moscow Mayors Cup, a preseason tournament, ahead of the 2024-25 regular season. 

In three games, Iskhakov scored two goals with an assist. 

In Game 1 against Vityaz, the Russian native lined up as the third-line center, earning a primary assist in a 3-2 shootout win:

In the second game of the weekend tournament, against Torpedo, Iskhakov scored his first goal of the preseason, finishing a 2-on-1 pass to give CSKA Moscow a 1-0 lead with 17:06 to play in the first period (there will be an ad before each video since it's not from social media):

CSKA went on to win 3-1. 

In Moscow's weekend finale against Spartak, Iskhakov was back at third-line center, scoring a silky goal for his second of the preseason to give his team a 3-2 lead with 18:23 to play in the third period:

For the second time in three games, CSKA needed a shootout, beating Spartak 4-3. 

After a strong weekend with three points in three games, Iskhakov was named Top Scorer of the tournament:

He and CSKA will open their season against Spartak on Thursday, Sept. 5, at 12:30 PM ET. 

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