New York Islanders prospect Ruslan Iskhakov is off to another hot start for the Bridgeport Islanders. Could he finally get a call-up this season?
New York Islanders prospect Ruslan Iskhakov is off to another hot start for the Bridgeport Islanders. Could he finally get a call-up this season?
Speed. Skill. Finesse. Those are three words to describe New York Islanders prospect Ruslan Iskahkov.
The 23-year-old left-winger's abilities with the puck on his stick make him a walking...skating...highlight reel, as his confidence seems to be off the charts when it comes to burying pucks.
With 12 goals and 18 assists through 33 games, Iskhakov is tied for the seventh-most points in the American Hockey League, punching his ticket to the All-Star Game for a second consecutive season.
"This summer, I worked on aspects of my game. I wanted to get better off and on the ice. [Wanted to be better at] playing in front of the net, getting those rebounds and tip goals, and being more comfortable overall and being more mature," Iskhakov said regarding his strong start to his sophomore Bridgeport season.
Last season, Iskhakov struggled to keep pace with his hot start after producing four goals and 10 assists through the opening 10 games but did find a way to have a strong finish, ending his rookie season with 17 goals and 35 assists.
While Iskhakov racked up the points, five of his Bridgeport teammates were recalled to the NHL level. The young Russian forward told NHL.com at development camp that it did weigh on him throughout the season.
"I'm not saying that's the only thing that you think about throughout the season," Iskhakov said. "But when you see somebody's getting called up, it's not really the things that you can control, so you focus on the things that you can control, and you're just trying to get there."
He was named an All-Star after Samuel Bolduc got recalled to the NHL.
During the summer months, former Bridgeport Islander Chris Terry spoke rather highly of Iskhakov's skillset on Hockey Night in New York.
"He's one of the most skilled players I've probably ever played with in the American League," Terry said. "He can do things with the puck that other guys can't. Obviously, he's on the smaller side, but I think that works to his advantage. His center of gravity is lower to the ice.
"He's really good on his edges. His puck protection is probably a strength of his game and the ability to hold onto it."
The five-foot-eight forward understands his size and knows he has to make up for a lack of it.
"I'm on the smaller side, so I've got to be stronger," Iskhakov said. "I put some extra work in the summer.
"I'm not 6-foot-5, but I've got to be quicker and more aggressive."
One area of Iskhakov's game that he needed to improve if he wanted to get a taste of NHL hockey was his play away from the puck.
"He's a guy that when he or someone does lose possession of the puck, he's got to get on that and use that low center of gravity and his quick feet to get it back," First-year Bridgeport head coach Rick Kowalsky said back in September. "He can do it. It's just the willingness to do it all the time. And I think he learned a lot."
The 2022-23 season was Iskhakov's first as a left winger, transitioning from a centerman, a position he'd played his entire career.
"That was my first year playing on the wing," Iskhakov said. "I usually play center. I think I needed some time to adjust. I think at the end of the season, I played pretty good. Obviously, I had some ups and downs. But yeah, overall, I think I progressed, went forward, and my game got better and more mature."
When Bridgeport's 2023-24 season began, Iskhakov, yet again, got off to a strong start, earning five points (three goals, two assists) through his first two games.
THN spoke with Iskhakov then to get his early-season thoughts.
"Coming into camp, you haven't played hockey in a long time, and you're very excited," Iskhakov said. "Having a chance to play with some of the best players like Brock Nelson, Mathew Barzal, Bo Horvat, and playing strong, you get that good start during camp."
Kowalsky added that, "If he's going to play in the NHL, he is to make sure he's reliable defensively, make sure he's winning wall battles, but he certainly looks like he's taken a step from last year."
When THN reconnected with Kowalsky 10 games later, he had this to say about his skilled forward.
"He's on the right path. This year, his play off the puck and his transition to defense have been a lot better," Kowalsky said. "Still, an area where he can continue to grow.
"Last year, he got off to a really good start because nobody really knew who he was. The difference this year is he's certainly our top offensive-skilled forward, and he's not catching anybody by surprise.
That recognition only makes the game harder on the ice. The toughness is helping mold Iskhakov into the type of player he needs to be at the next level.
"He's getting keyed on every game, and I think he's done a really good job," Kowalsky said. "He has the ability to make plays and make things happen one-on-one.
"He's willing to go to the hard areas in the corner and along the walls, which certainly is something he's gonna have to do if he gets a chance to play in the NHL."
The Islanders organization, which lacks that robust prospect pool, needs to see their young players improving year in and year out, and so far, it seems that Iskhakov has.
This season, consistency has been the name of Iskhakov's game, as he's riding a nine-game point streak (five goals, seven assists) after earning a secondary assist on William Dufour's second-period power-play goal Wednesday night:
So, when can Islanders fans expect Iskhakov to get his NHL chance?
Well, that's the thing.
Iskhakov is a top-six talent like Kowalsky said, a player that can expose his opponents with his raw speed, edge work, and nifty hand-eye coordination.
Iskahkov -- as he should -- is using the extra time and space in the AHL to his advantage, and the real question is how effective he can be away from the puck against the bigger and stronger NHL players.
The top-six may allow him to not have to be as defensive, but a bottom-six role will exploit his flaws, and even there, the Islanders don't have much of an opening.
Now, it is fair to say that the Islanders' offense, which has scored two goals or fewer in four of their last, could use a spark, and with Pierre Engvall being a healthy scratch twice already, Iskhakov may help get that second line going again.
It's not a bad thought but right now, it's likely not the route the Islanders will go.
Matt Martin and Hudson Fasching seem to be fighting for the fourth-line left-wing role, with Martin currently the starter yet again.
On the third line, Julien Gauthier has clearly beaten Oliver Wahlstrom out, so there is a log jam in the bottom six anyway, a position that Iskahkov isn't suited for.
Unless there's an injury to a top-six forward, it seems like the Islanders would call up depth forwards with NHL experience, like Karson Kuhlman or Otto Koivula, or another youngster like Kyle MacLean.
All Iskhakov can do is continue to work, stay hot, and ultimately make it a difficult decision for the organization to keep him in the AHL.
You can watch Rosner talk Islanders hockey on Hockey Night in New York with co-host Sean Cuthbert live Sunday nights at 8 PM ET during the season at twitch.tv/hockeynightny.