The New York Islanders took a swing on Maxim Shabanov in the summer of 2025, and at the time it looked like the kind of move that could pay off fast. He came in as one of the KHL’s most sought-after free agents, fresh off a 67-point season with Traktor Chelyabinsk, and the appeal was obvious: creativity, vision and the kind of playmaking touch the Islanders have long needed.
Now, more than a year later, the picture looks a lot murkier for New York.
Shabanov is with the Minnesota Wild, and he’s off to a strong start there. In 13 games, he has four goals and nine points, a sharp beginning after what was a mixed rookie year on Long Island. That’s enough to make the Islanders’ handling of him worth a second look.
Last season, Shabanov put up five goals and 13 assists for 18 points in 44 games with the Islanders. Those numbers were modest, but they didn’t tell the whole story. There were still stretches where his offensive instincts popped, and the qualities that made him such a coveted signing were easy to see in flashes.
His quick hands, vision and ability to generate scoring chances stood out. The problem was consistency. Adjusting to the NHL game wasn’t smooth, and his overall impact never fully settled in.
Even so, Mathieu Darche chose not to give him a qualifying offer, and that opened the door for Shabanov to land a one-year, $1.6 million deal with Minnesota. For an Islanders team that has had trouble producing offensive talent, the decision naturally invites some questions about whether they moved on too early.
Shabanov was still a work in progress, and 44 games is not much runway for a player coming over from the KHL. Minnesota may also be a better setup for him right now, with Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy already anchoring the club’s attack.
In Other News...
Matthew Schaefer Is Putting An Untouchable NHL Teen Mark In Play
Matthew Schaefer has already done enough in a brief NHL career to make the Islanders pay attention every night, and the 19-year-old keeps stacking production at a pace that is hard to ignore. He has averaged nearly a point per game so far, and with the way he is being leaned on in New York, his scoring touch is no longer just a promising start. It is becoming part of the conversation around how far he can push this season.
The bigger picture is even more striking because Schaefer is still a teenager, which keeps the door open on a mark long considered out of reach. He is still tracking toward a huge year offensively, and the ice time he is getting suggests the Islanders are willing to let him learn on the fly while he drives play. If that usage continues, the chase could get very real before his next birthday. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Shake Up Lineup Again As Road Trip Pressure Builds
The Islanders are trying to steady things as they close out a three-game road trip against the Minnesota Wild, and head coach Peter DeBoer has turned to another lineup tweak in search of a cleaner look. Kyle MacLean is back after sitting out one game, giving the club a bit more balance up front as it tries to manage the wear and tear of the trip.
Matthew Kessel is the healthy scratch, and the move lets New York return to a 12-forward, 6-defensemen alignment with Ilya Sorokin set to start in goal. For a team still looking for the right mix on the road, the changes are less about a single player than about finding a structure that can hold up under pressure in a game the Islanders could use to settle in. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Keep Hanging Around Despite A Lineup Problem That Wont Go Away
The Islanders have been piecing together their lineup on the fly, and it has not been a small issue. Injuries have forced constant adjustments around key names like Mathew Barzal, Calum Ritchie, Matias Maccelli and Alexander Romanov, yet the group keeps finding a way to stay in the mix. A 6-4-2 start has been enough to keep them relevant, with captain Bo Horvat, defenseman Matthew Schaefer and the goaltending tandem of Ilya Sorokin and Semyon Varlamov giving the club a steady base.
There is still plenty of uncertainty built into every game plan, though, and Barzal remains a particularly important one for the Islanders to solve as the schedule rolls on. Even with the rotation of bodies and the obvious roster strain, the club has climbed to No. 19 in the NHL power rankings, a sign that the early results have impressed outside observers as much as they have helped inside the room. The question now is whether they can keep hanging around while the lineup problem refuses to go away. [Read more 🡒]