Islanders' Maxim Shabanov ready to play NHL's physical game
Islanders' Maxim Shabanov during the first day of training camp on Thursday in East Meadow. Credit: Newsday/Howard Schnapp
Former KHL standout Maxim Shabanov needed fellow Islanders rookie camp participant Gleb Veremyev to serve as an interpreter for his first media session on Long Island. The 24-year-old Russian knows virtually no English.
But when asked if he likes playing physical hockey — a must in the NHL — Shabanov spoke for himself.
“Yes,” the 5-9, 167-pound sharpshooter said on Friday after Day 2 of camp at Northwell Health Ice Center in East Meadow. “I strong.”
The Islanders won out over several other teams to sign Shabanov to a one-year, $975,000 deal, and the lefthander could earn a spot among the top six forwards once the main training camp opens on Thursday.
Shabanov has shown through his first two days on ice that his skating ability is as strong an attribute as his shot.
“He kind of pops off the page at you,” said Rocky Thompson, the coach of the Islanders’ AHL affiliate in Bridgeport, who is leading the on-ice work. “He’s a little bit older and the pedigree of playing in the KHL. What I thought was impressive, too, is we’re doing a lot of checking drills, nothing crazy, but I thought he did a good job of those as well.”
“He’s very smooth, very smart, very skilled player,” said defenseman Matthew Schaefer, the No. 1 overall pick in June’s NHL Draft. “He’s always thinking the game to the next level.”
Shabanov notched 23 goals and 44 assists in 65 games last season for Traktor Chelyabinsk — his third full KHL season — and added 10 goals and 10 assists in 21 playoff games. His speed and finishing ability might match well with Mathew Barzal, whom coach Patrick Roy plans to use as a center this season rather than on Bo Horvat’s wing.
But Shabanov will have to adapt to the more physical style of the smaller North American rinks.
“I chose America because it’s every kid’s dream to play in the NHL and I want to challenge myself,” he said through Veremyev, an undrafted free agent originally from Brooklyn. “Everything’s a bit new but I’m feeling ready.
“I like the smaller rink. It’s a faster game, and that’s the way I like to play.”
As for the language barrier, Shabanov said he hopes to work with an English tutor. He’ll potentially have fellow Russians Ilya Sorokin, Semyon Varlamov, Alexander Romanov and Maxim Tsyplakov as Islanders teammates.
“Romanov and the other Russian guys helped me get acclimated and moved in here,” Shabanov said via Veremyev.
Notes & quotes: The Islanders said forward Jesse Nurmi, a fourth-round pick in 2023, underwent a procedure on his left knee and will be sidelined four to six weeks. He had not skated at rookie camp . . . Thompson was asked to define former Islander Josh Bailey’s role as an on-ice instructor. “I didn’t want to put a burden on him,” he said. “I said, ‘Don’t worry as much about the drills. Just things that you see. You’re kind of serving as a mentor.’ I don’t know what he’s saying to them. I just gave him the freedom.”
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
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