The failure of winger Maxim Shabanov should not discourage the New York Islanders from similar decisions. In fact, the New York Islanders’ Shabanov experiment is exactly the type of decision that helps teams find value in unexpected places.
The concern, at this point, is swinging and failing one too many times. GM Mathieu Darche has taken more than his fair share of swings since taking the Islanders’ job. They have not all worked, but they do show a willingness to experiment that not every front office possesses.
Maxim Shabanov’s Skill Wasn’t Enough for New York Islanders
Goaltender Ilya Sorokin talked to a Russian outlet, Sport Express, about some of Shabanov’s struggles last season.
“It seems to me, and this is just my opinion, that he should have realized sooner that the promises he might have made before the season weren’t worth keeping in mind all year. He needed a little more positivity and patience. He shouldn’t show any dissatisfaction, but simply work and wait for his chance.”
Russell Macias of The Hockey News suggested that Shabanov’s skill failed to overcome his consistency issues. The talented Russian winger translated a brilliant 2024-25 season in the KHL to a difficult rookie season in the NHL. The one-time Islander had 67 points in 65 regular-season KHL games in his final year with Traktor. He had a 20-point (10 goals, 10 assists) playoff performance in 21 KHL postseason games. In the NHL, that translated to just 18 points in 44 games last season on Long Island.
The Islanders didn’t tender Shabanov, a restricted free agent, over the summer. He signed in Minnesota as an unrestricted free agent on a one-year, $1.6 million deal.
It’s a reminder of how difficult it is to translate from any league to the NHL, a lesson the Islanders will need to remember in the not-so-distant future. The New York Islanders’ Shabanov failure shouldn’t discourage them.
A Good Gamble Gone Wrong Between New York Islanders and Shabanov
There’s little doubt that New York needs dynamic players. The Islanders’ youth movement began in the wake of a disastrous 2024-25 campaign. The Islanders looked old and slow in seemingly every part of their game. Ownership decided to reset with Mathieu Darche. The former Montreal Canadiens player was long considered a favorite out of the Tampa front office to become an NHL general manager.
His early results are mixed. The asset accumulation portion has gone well. He also hasn’t dealt premium assets to bring in NHL players to keep the Islanders relevant and competitive. He has shown a willingness to take chances. The Islanders’ Shabanov experiment was one of those chances. It was a good gamble that didn’t land.
New York’s Looming Youth Movement Notable in Wake of Islanders’ Shabanov Decision
A gamble on a then-24-year-old winger is not the same as bringing a younger prospect through the pipeline, but there is a lesson to consider here nonetheless. There will come a point, quite soon, when the Islanders’ youth movement will blossom. At that point, the New York Islanders’ Shabanov lessons should come into focus.
Highly touted prospects like defenseman Kashawn Aitcheson, winger Victor Eklund and winger Cole Eiserman are all inching closer to an NHL opportunity. Defenseman Malte Gustafsson, drafted at pick 13 in June, is a year or more behind those three. Still, he’s worth mentioning. This is the vaunted youth movement that will require patience on Long Island. The Islanders enter this season as the 10th oldest team in the NHL, according to Elite Prospects. That could change very quickly. In fact, it could change this season. If the Islanders are less competitive than last season, they could be trade-deadline sellers.
The New York Islanders’ Shabanov failure is a reminder that young players, however you find them, take time to adjust in the NHL. The Islanders could afford a one-year mistake like Shabanov. He was a scratch-off lottery ticket. That won’t be the correct path forward with the numerous young players coming through the pipeline.
Darche Willing to Take Chances
GM Mathieu Darche has made it clear that he’s willing to take unconventional chances. Darche trading for Ondrej Palat and Brayden Schenn last season was not conventional for a team many expected to be in rebuilding mode. Similarly, firing head coach Patrick Roy with four games remaining in the regular season was not conventional. Hiring Pete DeBoer immediately to get a head start on the 2026-27 season while the 2025-26 season still mattered certainly wasn’t conventional.
That begs the question: what kind of chances would Darche be willing to take on his prospects? The Islanders are in a unique position. It’s clear from the Islanders’ deadline moves and the hiring of DeBoer that they aren’t entering into a rebuild. Simultaneously, their long-term salary structure shows a team that hasn’t fully identified its long-term core.
This now appears to be more of a retool on Long Island. As a result, the New York Islanders’ Shabanov experiment was worthwhile. Those are the types of swings you take in these situations. In the future, the Islanders will need to show more patience with other high-skilled players, because quite a few of them are coming through the system.
Unlike Shabanov, who came as a low-risk signing, failing to properly integrate those players will cost the Islanders far more in Darche’s grand scheme.
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