How He Landed on the Island:
The New York Islanders had one of the most successful off-seasons in recent memory. From the NHL Draft to free agency, it was an eventful first summer for Mathieu Darche.
One of his moves was acquiring Maxim Shabanov, a 24-year-old forward from Traktor Chelyabinsk of the KHL. The ‘Shabanov sweepstakes’ reportedly came down to the Islanders, New York Rangers, and Philadelphia Flyers.
The Islanders won the contest and signed Shabanov to a one-year contract worth $975,000 on July 2, 2025.
KHL Stats and Achievements:
At the KHL level, Maxim Shabanov collected quite an impressive stat line. Last season, he played 65 games, scoring 23 goals and 44 assists, for a team-leading 67 points. He only took nine minor penalties and had a +17 rating.
In the playoffs, he played 21 games, scoring 10 goals and 10 assists for 20 points, two penalty minutes, and a +14 rating. His team, Traktor Chelyabinsk, unfortunately, lost in the KHL Gagarin Cup Final in 5 games to Yaroslavl Lokomotiv.
One statistic that stands out is his penalty minute totals during his KHL career. In 207 regular-season games and 36 playoff games, Shabanov only recorded 30 total penalty minutes, according to eliteprospects.com and the KHL’s official website.
In 207 KHL games, he scored 150 points for a 0.72 points-per-game average. After 36 career playoff games, he finished with 31 points and a 0.86 pts/game. Shabanov was also a 2-time KHL All-Star in 2023 and 2025.
With the signing of Shabanov, the Islanders’ roster potentially includes five Russian players on opening night: Ilya Sorokin, Semyon Varlamov, Alexander Romanov, Maxim Tsyplakov, and Maxim Shabanov. The four existing Russians could have been a swaying factor for Shabanov to sign with the Islanders.