• Wed. Dec 11th, 2024

Breaking News: Maple Leafs reportedly expressing interest in bringing in a high-scoring KHL forward

The Toronto Maple Leafs are reportedly among four teams showing interest in 24-year-old KHL forward Maxim Shabanov, a point-producing player. Over the years, the Leafs have built strong ties with KHL players, providing them opportunities to pursue their NHL dreams, as seen with players like Alexander Barabanov and Ilya Mikheyev. While some of these opportunities have succeeded, others, such as Igor Ozhiganov, didn’t pan out.

Despite having several young forwards competing for playing time with the Toronto Marlies, as well as prospects like Easton Cowan in the pipeline, the Leafs continue to look for skilled additions to their prospect pool. According to hockey journalist Alexei Shevchenko, the Leafs have expressed interest in Shabanov.

Currently in his third full KHL season with Chelyabinsk Traktor, Shabanov has recorded 6 goals and 14 points in 13 games. Standing at 5’8″, he accumulated 81 points over 131 games in the last two seasons, including a 25-goal performance last season. Though he doesn’t match the typical player profile favored by Brad Treliving and Craig Berube, neither did Easton Cowan, who is also under six feet tall.

Competition for the undrafted forward is fierce, with the Utah Hockey Club, Nashville Predators, and New York Islanders also vying for his signature. Shabanov is under contract with Traktor until the season ends, so he likely wouldn’t make his North American debut until April. If he joins the Leafs, he could provide valuable secondary scoring to the Marlies, especially if their top players are called up to the Leafs for the postseason as ‘black aces’.

By Admin

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