The Islanders let the qualifying-offer deadline pass without keeping Max Shabanov in the fold, and the Russian winger now looks headed for free agency.
Shabanov was one of five players who did not receive a qualifying offer from New York, along with Marc Gatcomb, Matt Maggio, Tristan Lennox, and Ruslan Iskhakov. Even so, the door is not completely shut: the Islanders and Shabanov can still work out a deal before free agency opens Wednesday at 12:00 pm. But the expectation is that he’ll test the market.
That’s a notable turn for a player the Islanders brought in as a high-end European free agent just a year ago. Shabanov, 25, came over from Traktor Chelyabinsk in the KHL and made his NHL debut last season. His year was slowed by injuries early on, and when he was healthy, he had a hard time carving out steady ice time.
In 44 games, Shabanov finished with five goals and 13 assists. The talent was there in flashes, the same skill set that made him the top European free agent last summer, but he never quite put it together on a consistent basis.
When Mathieu Darche and the Islanders signed him to a one-year deal, they beat out several teams for him, including the NY Rangers and the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Islanders had already taken a similar swing on Max Tsyplakov in the summer of 2024, when they signed him as the top European free agent. Tsyplakov showed real promise as a rookie with 10 goals and 25 assists, but his second season went sideways, and he was moved before the deadline in the deal that brought Ondrej Palat to New York.
For now, Shabanov appears to be on the path to the open market, where a Metro Division rival could end up making a play for him.
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