Islanders recall forward prospect for regular-season finale

The Islanders have recalled forward prospect Ruslan Iskhakov from AHL Bridgeport, per a team announcement. He’s expected to make his NHL debut Wednesday night in the Isles’ final regular-season game against the Penguins.

New York selected Iskhakov, 23, in the second round of the 2018 draft. It’s been a steady climb for the undersized Russian center since then, as he’s now solidified himself as one of the organization’s top point producers at the minor league level.

He was always going to need to put up strong numbers to have a shot at cracking the NHL. At 5-foot-8 and 163 lbs, he’s far from being the strongest or most aggressive player on the ice, but he’s made up for it so far with great passing and skating. Drafted out of the Russian junior circuit, Iskhakov came to North America immediately after being drafted, spending two years with UConn. He notched 21 points in 32 games each season before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, causing him to return overseas. There, he made his professional debut with TPS in the Finnish Liiga in 2020-21, tying for third on the club with 38 points (10 goals, 28 assists) in 54 games on a team that featured Sabres netminder Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen as its backup. He stayed overseas the following year, transferring to Adler Mannheim of the Deutsch Eishockey Liga, where he was limited to 25 games but led the team in per-game scoring with 22 points.

His strong stints in European top-level hockey convinced the Isles to sign him to a two-year entry-level contract beginning last year, and he hasn’t disappointed. He’s combined for 35 goals and 101 points in 138 games with Bridgeport, leading the offensively challenged club in scoring this season. The Isles are holding star forward Mathew Barzal and a few others out of Wednesday’s matchup for rest, as they’re already locked into a first-round matchup with the Hurricanes.

Iskhakov is expected to skate on a line with captain Anders Lee and Jean-Gabriel Pageau in his NHL debut, per NHL.com’s Stefen Rosner. A pending RFA with arbitration rights, he’s in need of a new contract this summer. With Bridgeport eliminated from Calder Cup Playoff contention, Iskhakov could remain with the Isles during their playoff run.