Max Shabanov already looks like an Islanders steal with exciting emergence

If Max Shabanov stays at the level he has been at since returning from an upper-body injury, two things are all but guaranteed. 

First, the Islanders pulled off a coup in beating out a group of teams to sign Shabanov out of the KHL last summer. 

And second, Shabanov is not long for the fourth line, where he has started in two of his three games since being back in the lineup. 

For now, though, taking Shabanov off a fourth line that was outright dominant Thursday night would amount to insanity. 

The Russian’s two-goal, three-point night that keyed the Islanders to a 5-0 win in Detroit on Friday was only the cherry on top of a trip that amounted to a thunderclap for the 25-year-old winger. 

His instant chemistry with Cal Ritchie elevated both their games and turned the fourth line into a weapon. Shabanov, whose ability to withstand NHL physicality was his biggest question mark coming into the season, did not hesitate to go into the dirty areas and was effective in corners and on the forecheck.