With their this and final pick in the second round at the 2026 NHL Draft, the Calgary Flames selected winger Alan Shaikhlislamov out of the MHL at 55th overall. Shaikhlislamov was ranked 83rd by Scott Wheeler at The Athletic and 52nd by EliteProspects.
Who is Alan Shaikhlislamov?
| Position | Handedness | Height | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| RW | Left | 6’1″ | 187lbs |
Shaikhlislamov is a left-shot winger who plays primarily on the right side. At 6’1″ and 187 pounds, he has plenty of room to add size over the next couple of years. Hailing from Russia, Shaikhlislamov is slated to continue his career in Russia next season. It’s also worth noting that Shaikhlislamov was born in September 2008, making him one of the youngest players in the 2026 draft. He was just days away from not being eligible until the 2027 draft.
Shaikhlislamov’s on-ice production
As mentioned, Shaikhlislamov has spent his entire junior hockey career at home in Russia. He’s spent the last two years playing for Tolpar Ufa of the MHL, also logging one KHL game this past season. The hope is he can make the full-time jump to the KHL soon.
| Year | Draft Relative | League | Team | GP | G | A | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | D-1 | MHL | Tolpar Ufa | 46 | 20 | 13 | 33 |
| 2025-26 | D+0 | MHL | Tolpar Ufa | 31 | 18 | 17 | 35 |
Shaikhlislamov was a standout for Tolpar Ufa in 2024-25 as a 16-year-old, finishing seventh on his team in scoring despite being the youngest player on the team. All-time, his 33 points are the 17th highest total by a U17 player in the MHL.
This past season, his production took another step, although there were plenty of ups and downs. He started the year with a five-game goal-scoring streak before suffering an injury that cost him 22 games. When he eventually returned at the beginning of January, he struggled to get back up to speed at first. Luckily, by the end of the year, his offence started coming around again.
He finished the year with 35 points in just 31 games, placing fourth on his MHL team in scoring despite once again being one of the youngest players on the roster. All-time, his 1.13 points per game rank 14th among U18 MHL skaters, ahead of names like Alexander Zharovsky, Roman Kantserov, and Daniela Yurov.
Shaikhlislamov’s strengths
Puck Skills
Shaikhlislamov’s biggest strength is no doubt his skill on the puck. He possesses strong hands and can show flashes of dynamic skill by creating chances for both himself and his teammates. He does a great job of creating space in the offensive zone to create good looks for his team. When he’s feeling confident, he can be a dangerous player offensively.
At the MHL level, he is capable of taking over shifts and dominating offensively. While it’s not exactly the toughest league to play in, it’s always worth noting when a player can dominate the way he can at times.
Shot
Shaikhlislamov already has a pro-level shot and can beat goaltenders cleanly from all over the ice. It’s not often you hear scouts call a 17-year-old’s shot NHL-ready. His release is quite effective and quick for a player his age, and it leads to a lot of dangerous chances in the slot and around the net. He also isn’t afraid to fire the puck on net, generating over three shots a game this past season.
Here’s what The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler said about Shaikhlislamov.
“He has natural hands (and an unconventionally high grip when he’s carrying pucks). He has great dexterity in tipping pucks and handling bad passes. He finds soft ice off coverage and has good instincts on and off the puck. He has a quick catch-and-release action and a comfortable one-timer.”
Shaikhlislamov’s areas of improvement
Hockey IQ
One of the biggest knocks on Shaikhlislamov is his decision-making and overall hockey IQ. He can tend to make some puzzling decisions at times, giving up the puck in situations where simple plays were available to keep possession. His shot selection could use some work as well, as he can find himself forcing shots into crowds instead of waiting for better chances to come up.
He has some impressive skills, but the issue is he tries to do too much sometimes instead of resetting and taking the simple play. He needs to learn to use his teammates more often and in better ways in order to create more offence as a team instead of individually. If he hopes to earn the trust of NHL coaches one day, he’ll have to clean up his decision-making.
Shaikhlislamov’s next steps
Shaikhlislamov will return to Russia for the 2026-27 season, where he will look to start earning more consistent minutes at the KHL level. The key for him now is to keep working on his overall offensive game against stronger and better competition. With a late 2008 birthday and no experience playing in North America, this is very much a project pick. I wouldn’t expect Shaikhlislamov to be pushing for NHL work anytime soon.
Projection with the Flames
Shaikhlislamov is a very intriguing prospect. He possesses the combination of size and skill that NHL teams love, and as one of the draft’s youngest players, he still has a ton of room to grow and develop his game. If he can continue to add size and work on his decision-making and overall game, Shaikhlislamov could be a sneaky middle-six option with real offensive upside for the Flames one day.
