Maxim Shabanov is considering a move to North America, and the Philadelphia Flyers are among the teams in contention for his services. In February, Broad Street Buzz’s own Ariel Melendez wrote that the Flyers were listed as the frontrunner in the race.
Initial reports of a potential union between the two sides were originally reported early this year. Anthony SanFilippo of On Pattison is reporting that, should Shabanov join the NHL, the Philadelphia Flyers could be a top destination.
Shabanov is a 24-year-old Russian left-handed forward who currently plays for Traktor Chelyabinsk in the KHL. In the 2024-25 season, he had 67 points (23 goals, 44 assists) in 65 games and 20 points (10 goals, 10 assists) in 21 postseason appearances. The playoff goals were the most in the KHL this season. He is a pending KHL free agent and finished third in points this season.
His skills check off a lot of the Flyers boxes. He can score, is a fast skater, can break defenders’ ankles, and has a high hockey IQ. He has had mixed results with Michigan goal attempts, though. John Tortorella would have disapproved.
The following video shows highlights of his play.
From available clips, his playing style is reminiscent of fellow Russian forward Nikita Kucherov.
Shabanov is listed as both a right wing and a center. The inevitable question is: could he center Matvei Michkov’s line? That would be tough. Standing at 5’8” and 157 pounds, he is quite undersized. For reference, Matvei Michkov is listed at 5’10”, 172 pounds. While it would be fun to see the two dominate some teams, they would be easily shut down by larger checking lines and strong defenders.
Signing Shabanov is a no-brainer. He immediately makes the Flyers a better team, and his highlight-reel skills would sell tickets. Adding him as a right winger would also make Owen Tippett expendable, allowing the team to add another asset in a position of need via trade.
Michael Stahurski of Eyes on Isles did a thorough writeup on Shabanov last fall.