Minnesota Wild
· 2026-07-04
The Minnesota Wild have signed Max Shabanov, a 25-year-old Russian winger, to their lineup.
The Wild traded away Jake Middleton and acquired Olli Maatta and Blake Coleman earlier in the day.
The team is coming off a win, having beaten the Anaheim Ducks 3-2 on April 15, and is currently 3rd in the Western Conference with a 46-24 record.
Shabanov's signing is seen as a low-risk, high-reward move, with Guerin believing he can play up and down their top-9.
He scored 5 goals and added 13 assists in 44 games played last season, but is expected to play more minutes per game with the Wild.
In his final season with Chelmet Chelyabinsk in the KHL, Shabanov scored 23 goals and assisted on 44 more, for a total of 67 points.
He has a total of 150 points in 207 games played in the KHL over four seasons.
The Wild's president of hockey operations, Bill Guerin, and head coach John Hynes are banking on Shabanov to make an impact.
And with the team having lost three top-six forwards from last season, the signing makes sense.
But it remains to be seen how Shabanov will perform with the Wild.
So far, the signs are positive, with Shabanov having shown his skills in the KHL.
The Wild are hoping he can bring that form to the NHL.
With Kirill Kaprizov already on the team, Shabanov may have the opportunity to play on a line with his fellow Russian.
That could be a key factor in his success with the Wild.
The team's fans will be watching with interest to see how Shabanov performs.