Rumor: Toronto, Nashville, Utah, NY Islanders teams with interest in Maxim Shabanov

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

5"8 157, that dude better be an absolute star because that's a small player

 

[Phion Keneuf]

5’8 157lbs is chick weight

 

[Folignos Helmet]

Is he good? Should I care? Legit first time hearing the name.

I heard he’s not too shabby.

 

[SensontheRush]

Bargaining ploy to get a better KHL contract?

 

[ESH]

It’s always strange to me how NHL teams view players overseas. Nigel Dawes never sniffed the NHL again despite being one of the KHLs most productive goal scorers of all time. I feel like some of the mystery of a player is more appealing than the actual results.

Well that’s kind of the point though. You don’t know until you try.

 

[Jumptheshark]

who is that twitter account?

 

[ZegrasOwnsYou]

I don't think he's being given enough credit in this thread. He popped up on my radar this time last year. Having watched a handful of Traktor games last season, a few this season, season highlights & clips from HNH.

Yeah, he's smaller but he is quick, acceleration is far better than what it was this time last year, smart passes, smooth hands, drives the net & quite creative

His year-to-year point production has gone up every season he's gotten more ice time, got even better when his PK time got slashed.

He needs some work defensively, there were a few instances last year where he got caught behind the play. His shot while accurate is lacking in the power department.

 

[HighLifeManIsHigh]

5’8 157lbs is chick weight

That’s a pretty big chick. Regardless of which kinda chick you’re talking about

 

[Armourboy]

But I mean, he's not outproducing a fringe NHL'er...that was my point. He's got the same pts at Petan in 1 more game. Petan was a long-time NHL fringe player. I mean, I guess a guy can come over at 24yo+ and make it but also at 5'8 157lbs, I wince and question how likely it is.

To the point of - why bother?

Any of those teams could have claimed Lavoie, Poulin, Suzuki, ZAR, or Adam Gaudette and got a player with just as much impact.

Difference is teams know those guys are basically tweeners already.

He will essentially get a 1 year tryout with someone. If he does well you just got a decent player for nothing. If he doesn't, all you did was pay him a year on an ELC. No risk is pretty appealing to GM's.

 

[HockeyVirus]

Nicolas Petan has the same number of points in one less game, for context's sake.

Petan potted a whopping 7g and 35pt in 170 NHL games. Just so we're clear.

That's an indication of his size limitation not his ability.

 

[SEALBound]

Difference is teams know those guys are basically tweeners already.

He will essentially get a 1 year tryout with someone. If he does well you just got a decent player for nothing. If he doesn't, all you did was pay him a year on an ELC. No risk is pretty appealing to GM's.

But I mean, thats kinda my point. If you look at a guy like Lavoie or Poulin, sure you can say they are tweeners but they are also 20. If at 24, the kid isn't producing better than a longtime NHL tweener, what potential do scouts really see there? Made sense with a guy like Gusev who was potting 71pts in 57gp at 24yo. If he was PPG last year, I'd get it. 0.5ppg, even in the KHL, is still pretty meh.

Again, I'm not dogging the guy. I just don't get why he, of all guys, is getting interest. Been waiting for a scouting report of sorts that details the skills sets scouts might see in him.