Russian winger Maxim Shabanov snubs the Flyers for the Islanders
The Flyers, who were strongly linked with the KHL's third-leading scorer, will have to look elsewhere to boost their options at left wing. GM Danny Brière said Tuesday he was "hopeful" of signing him.
A year after Matvei Michkov’s early arrival in Philadelphia, the stage seemed set for another smaller but highly skilled Russian winger to join him on Broad Street.
But it was not to be, as free agent Maxim Shabanov instead signed a one-year deal with the New York Islanders on Wednesday evening. The 24-year-old winger played the last four seasons for Traktor Chelyabinsk and finished third in the Kontinental Hockey League last season with 67 points (23 goals, 44 assists).
The Flyers had been strongly linked to Shabanov for the last month or so, with some going as far as to speculate that it was a done deal for Philly. At his media availability on Tuesday, Flyers general manager Danny Brière reiterated that the team maintained interest in the player.
» READ MORE: Flyers address positional needs by signing goalie Dan Vladar, center Christian Dvorak in NHL free agency
“I’m still waiting on that. Yeah, we’re waiting. We’re hopeful,” Brière said. “We were told that we’re one of a few teams that he’s considering still, but we have no inkling of which way he’s leaning at this point.”
It turns out that hope was all for naught, as Shabanov instead will join a Metropolitan Division rival next season. ESPN reported that the base salary will be $975,000 but that the Russian winger can earn more through bonuses.
The 5-foot-9, 171-pound Shabanov established himself as one of the KHL’s top offensive players over the last two seasons, racking up 48 goals and 69 assists for 117 points in 129 games over that span. He sparked Traktor to the Gagarin Cup finals this season, leading playoff scorers with 10 goals and finishing second in scoring with 20 points in 21 games.
Shabanov, who is known first and foremost for his speed and stickhandling ability, has become a bit of a sensation in recent years on social media because of his skill. He has scored multiple “Michigan” lacrosse-style goals in the KHL, and earlier this season pulled off a ridiculous bit of skill when he heel-dragged into a spin-o-rama between two defenders against Severstal Cherepovets.
Not landing Shabanov is a blow to the Flyers, who could be without 25-goal winger Tyson Foerster to start next season because of an arm/elbow injury. But while Shabanov’s skills are undeniable, it remains to be seen how they will translate in the faster and more physical NHL. Shabanov also will face the usual durability questions given his size.
Regardless, the Flyers were keen on being the team to find out, and now will need to go back to the drawing board. It remains to be seen if that means adding another winger externally in free agency, or an increased opportunity for Alex Bump or 2025 top pick Porter Martone to earn a spot on the opening-night NHL roster. But reading between the lines of Brière’s press conference on Tuesday, the latter would seem the likelier path.
“We have some, some young guys, maybe, if [Foerster] does have to miss early in the season, that maybe they step up. Maybe it’s an Alex Bump; maybe it’s Porter Martone. [Devin] Kaplan played at the end of the year for us,” Brière said. “You know, there’s other guys that if they perform that maybe they get a look early in the season if they have a good camp.”
Former Flyers sign
While a lot of the free-agent action was completed on Tuesday afternoon, some deals filtered late into Tuesday and Wednesday, including several with interest to Flyers fans.
Late Tuesday, the Tampa Bay Lightning came to a three-year agreement with left winger Jakob Pelletier, who spent the final few months of last season with the Flyers. The deal carries an average annual value of $842,000 and is a two-way contract for 2025-26.
Pelletier, 24, was acquired at the end of January from the Calgary Flames alongside Andrei Kuzmenko, a 2025 second-round pick, and a 2028 seventh-rounder, for Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee. The high-energy winger, who was a 2019 first-round pick by Calgary, tallied three goals and eight points in 25 games for the Flyers. Pelletier finished the season strong, scoring three goals and adding two assists after John Tortorella was fired and replaced by Brad Shaw.
The Flyers did not qualify Pelletier on Monday for the required $840,000.
Speaking of Frost, the former Flyer also signed a new contract on Wednesday. A restricted free agent, Frost re-upped with Calgary on a two-year deal with an annual average value of $4.375 million, according to Puck Pedia. The 26-year-old Frost, who accumulated 54 goals and 135 points in six seasons with the Flyers, had three goals and 12 points in 32 games after the trade.
In other Flyers-related news, goalie Cal Petersen signed a one-year, one-way, $775,000 contract with the Minnesota Wild, while defenseman Louie Belpedio agreed to a two-year, two-way deal ($750,000) with the Washington Capitals organization. Both players primarily played for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.