Minnesota Wild President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Bill Guerin announced the NHL club has signed forward Maxim Shabanov to a one-year, $1,600,000 contract for the 2026-27 season.
SAINT PAUL, Minn. — When the Minnesota Wild brought Maxim Shabanov into the picture, the timing felt purposeful: Bill Guerin announced the forward has signed a one-year contract worth $1,600,000 for the 2026-27 season.
Shabanov, listed at 5-foot-9 and 167 pounds, is 25 years old and was born on 10/7/00. For a rookie campaign last season with the New York Islanders, he posted 18 points in 44 games, finishing with 5-13=18, along with two penalty minutes and 56 shots on goal.
His season wasn’t just a steady grind—it had specific milestones that showed up quickly. Shabanov scored a goal in his NHL debut on Oct. 9 at Pittsburgh. Later, on Nov. 20 at Detroit, he recorded his first career multi-point game, going 2-1=3.
Before the NHL, Shabanov spent four seasons from 2021-25 with Traktor Chelyabinsk in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), compiling 150 points (67-83=150) over 207 games. During that stretch, he recorded 26 PIM and a plus-23 rating.
His 2024-25 season put him on the radar in a bigger way. He ranked third in KHL regular season scoring with 67 points (23-44=67) in 65 games. earned a spot in the KHL First All-Star Tam. and then carried that momentum into the postseason. In 21 playoff games, he added 20 points (10-10=20) as Traktor advanced to the 2025 Gagarin Cup Playoffs.
The postseason production kept climbing. Shabanov led the KHL in goals and plus-minus rating (plus-14) in the 2025 playoffs. He also played in the 2025 and 2024 KHL All-Star Games.
Now the Wild’s bet shifts to what comes next—whether that jump from KHL standout to NHL contributor can hold under a new jersey, and whether the early flashes from last season can turn into something more sustained for 2026-27.
Minnesota Wild Maxim Shabanov Bill Guerin NHL contract 2026-27 season New York Islanders Traktor Chelyabinsk KHL