Islanders sign KHL winger Maxim Tsyplakov

6 months ago  /  Lighthouse Hockey

Can score, and also likes to hit. | Xinhua/Edijs Palens via Getty Images


Guy might score and check a little, maybe. The New York Islanders interrupted your sleepy Thursday to not only sign a guy but announce it. (It’s true! Well, maybe not the first part...knowing Lou Lamoriello, maybe they signed him three months ago and are only announcing it now.)
The guy in question is winger Maxim Tsyplakov, who is coming off a career year in the KHL at age 25, and reportedly had several NHL teams interested in his services — free agents from Europe of his age are free doubts, costing little against the cap since they still require an ELC.
There is reason for optimism — hey, a free agent with some upside, no assets lost, and at ELC cap hit — as well as caution, since he’s coming from a lesser league and the Isles, across multiple regimes, have not displayed a lot of competence luck with imported pros from European leagues.
The team’s official announcement is brief but filled with salient info:

Tsypkaov scored 47 points (31 goals, 16 assists) in 65 games last season with Moscow Spartak in the KHL (Kontinental Hockey League). He posted career highs in goals, assists and points, while finishing fourth overall in KHL goal scoring. Tsyplakov had six power-play goals and four shorthanded goals. His 145 hits last season ranked 3rd among KHL forwards and 6th amongst all KHL skaters.
A 6’3, 190-pound forward, Tsyplakov played the last seven seasons with Spartak, totaling 63 goals and 58 assists for 121 points in 327 KHL games. He’s added seven points (two goals, five assists) in 27 career KHL Playoff games.

So he’s physical, too. If he truly likes to mix it up physically along with some nice hands (see the clip compilation below), then perhaps he’ll be a nice find for Patrick Roy.
For a non-Isles-affiliated take, here is an Internet Guy with some pros and cons to Tsypkaov’s game back in February, when the Leafs were reportedly among the NHL teams interested:


Maxim Tsyplakov (No. 9) reportedly has 12 NHL teams interested in his services, including #LeafsForever. Here are all of his non-empty net goals this season (plus some thoughts on the player in the expanded section)Tsyplakov's nearly doubled his KHL career goal total with 30 on… pic.twitter.com/kprUgdlfja— Kyle Cushman (@Kyle_Cush) February 9, 2024




It probably can’t hurt that he has fellow Russians in Ilya Sorokin, Semyon Varlamov and Alex Romanov to show him around Long Island. If he makes the team out of camp, of course. With Isles Euro free agents, that’s not a given....

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