New York Islanders 2025 second-round pick Daniil Prokhorov has been loaned back to Dynamo Moscow for the 2025-26 season, sources told The Hockey News. The Islanders have confirmed.
Prokhorov, 18, was selected 45th overall by the Islanders and then 65th overall by the OHL’s Sarnia Sting in the CHL’s Import Draft.
The Russian forward had completed a Professional Tryout with the KHL’s Dynamo Moscow, signing a two-year, two-way deal once it came to an end.
However, once he signed his three-year entry-level deal, the contract was no longer valid due to an NHL contract opt-out clause in the deal.
That would have allowed him to play for Sarnia in the 2025-26 season, which was something Sarnia had hoped to see happen.
What Prokhorov’s loan back to the KHL means is that he can play for Dynamo Moscow or their MHL affiliate (KHL’s AHL). Because he is 18, he is still eligible to play in the VHL, which is juniors.
So, you may be wondering, why would he sign in the KHL, then sign his ELC to get out of his KHL deal just to be loaned back to the KHL?
Good question.
The most important news here is that, because of the ELC slide rule, the Islanders will not be losing a year of control. It’s always good to have draft prospects under contract anyway, so no harm there.
The reason why the Islanders likely waited to sign him to his ELC was because who knew what would happen with his PTO.
Having an 18-year-old to make a KHL squad wasn’t a likely outcome, but it would have been tremendous for Prokhorov’s development.
When Prokhorov’s PTO ended, it wasn’t the Islanders who allowed Dynamo Moscow to sign him to a two-year deal. They didn’t have a say in that regard.
But, following that announcement, the Islanders were well aware of the opt-out clause and likely wanted to allow Prokhorov to have as many options as possible to further his development.
That gave the Islanders and Prokhorov’s camp more time to evaluate where he is at and what is a better course of action.
Ultimately, it seems that the Islanders and Prokhorov’s camp believe that his playing in Russia against men — not if he goes back to juniors, which isn’t likely — is a stronger path than going to the OHL and playing against 16 to 20-year-olds.
It’s hard to argue that.
It’s worth mentioning that Prokhorov was eligile to play in the AHL, which could be a likely landing spot for the 2026-27 season.
While the Islanders could have always signed Prokhorov to his ELC following this season, having him out on loan for one season allows them to reassess following the 2025-26 season.
Yes, they could have always done that, whether he was still under contract for two years, but there’s more control on the Islanders’ side now.
If Prokhorov is playing in the KHL, his season begins Saturday. If he plays in the MHL, his season begins on Friday.
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