Islanders Sign Daniil Prokhorov To Entry-Level Contract

Sep. 4: Prokhorov is staying in Russia after all. Instead of spending the year in juniors with Sarnia, the Islanders have announced a loan back to Dynamo Moscow for 2025-26, per Newsday’s Andrew Gross. His entry-level deal will slide accordingly. Signing him now allows them the option to have him in North America next season or assign him to AHL Bridgeport once his campaign in Russia ends.

Sep. 2, 8:30 p.m.: A few hours after the signing was made official, PuckPedia shared Prokhorov’s contract details:

• Year 1: $775K salary, $97.5K signing bonus, $102.5K GP bonus, $85K AHL salary
• Year 2: $800K salary, $97.5K signing bonus, $77.5K GP bonus, $85K AHL salary
• Year 3: $877.5K salary, $97.5K signing bonus, $85K AHL salary

Sep. 2, 10:21 a.m.: While recent Islanders draft pick Daniil Prokhorov signed a two-year contract in Russia just last week, it appears he’s already taking advantage of his baked-in NHL out clause. The Isles announced Tuesday they’ve signed their 2025 second-rounder to his three-year, entry-level contract. Stefen Rosner of NHL.com relays that the signing will precede a loan to the OHL’s Sarnia Sting, allowing him to play junior hockey stateside in his DY+1 after the Sting selected him in the second round of this year’s CHL Import Draft.

It’s more stability and a more competitive environment for the 18-year-old, who likely wasn’t ticketed for a full-time role in the KHL with Dynamo Moscow. He was instead expected to spend most of 2025-26 with their junior club, so he’ll instead be able to play in his age group in a higher-octane and more balanced league compared to Russia’s MHL.

Drafting Prokhorov was a bet on talent and ceiling. While not a well-rounded offensive threat by any means, he did tally 20 goals in 43 games for the MHL’s Dynamo St. Petersburg last year and plays a highly physical yet disciplined game. The 6’6″, 218-lb right winger only recorded 14 PIMs in 2024-25.

He’s a bit of a developmental project and presumably won’t be in the conversation for NHL ice time for a few years at least, especially not this season. Since he won’t hit the 10-game mark, his entry-level deal can slide to the 2026-27 season before taking effect and potentially again until 2027-28 if the same circumstances repeat themselves next year.