Islanders Sign Ruslan Iskhakov to Entry-Level Contract
The New York Islanders signed forward Ruslan Iskhakov to a two-year, entry-level contract. It was first reported by CapFriendly Transactions last night. The deal holds a cap hit of $855,000, and has a $925,000 average annual value.
The New York Islanders selected the Russian forward in the second round, 43rd overall, in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. When he was drafted, he was playing in the MHL, Russia’s second-tier league, with Krasnaya Armiya Moskva. He scored six goals and 30 points in 33 games during his draft year, and added nine goals and 21 points in 24 games representing Russia’s U-18 team during the 2017-18 season.
Iskhakov committed to play collegiate hockey at the University of Connecticut just days before he was drafted. He spent the next two years with UConn finding success in the Hockey East. During his freshman year, he scored six goals and 21 points in 32 games, but it wasn’t for nothing. Just two games into his freshman year, Iskhakov was the victim in one of the most frightening hits you’ll see. He ended up being okay, missing two games. He, once again, scored 21 points in 32 games during his sophomore season, but there was a different distribution, scoring nine goals and adding 12 assists.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ruslan Iskhakov signed a one-year contract with TPS in the Finnish Liiga for the 2020-21 season. This was a personal decision, as both UConn and the Islanders reportedly preferred if he stayed with the Huskies. Iskhakov had a successful season with TPS, scoring ten goals and 38 points in 52 regular season games, while scoring two goals and seven points in 13 games of playoff action.
This past season, Ruslan Iskhakov signed with Adler Mannheim of the DEL, the first-tier German league. He had another great season with an top-flight European team, scoring seven goals and tallying 22 points in 25 regular season games, one assist in four playoff games, and also scoring three goals in four games during Adler Mannheim’s Champions Hockey League games.
Iskhakov, a key prospect in the Islanders’ system, will likely begin his North American professional career with the Bridgeport Islanders next season alongside other Islanders’ prospects such as William Dufour, Aatu Räty, and Samuel Bolduc.
