Islanders sign Daniil Prokhorov to three-year, entry-level contract

A big prospect has inked his first NHL contract.

On Tuesday, the New York Islanders announced that the team has signed forward Daniil Prokhorov to a three-year, entry-level contract.

The terms of the contract have not been reported.

Prokhorov was taken by the Islanders in the second round, 42nd overall, of the 2025 NHL Draft. He was initially slated to stay in Russia and be a member of Dynamo Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League on a two-year, two-way contract that he recently signed. However, with signing his ELC with an NHL club, the Krasnodar native is eligible to opt out of his current contract and leave his home country to join the Ontario Hockey League’s Sarnia Sting—the team that picked him in the second round of the 2025 CHL Import Draft.

Prokhorov is coming off a “Cy Young-caliber” season with MHK Dynamo St. Petersburg in the MHL, Russia’s top junior league. The 18-year-old potted 20 goals and seven assists for 27 points in 43 games before adding another eight markers in eight playoff affairs.

Standing at 6-foot-6 and weighing well over 200 pounds, Prokhorov is a physical force that is tough to avoid. His aggressiveness leads to strong, physical play on the forecheck, resulting in him not being afraid to go to the dirty areas, along with being a difficult body to move around the crease.

Across two seasons in the MHL, all in St. Petersburg, Prokhorov has scored 27 goals and 16 assists for 43 points.

Daily Faceoff prospect expert Steven Ellis says there’s a lot of raw talent that can make Prokhorov a future NHLer.

“There seem to be split opinions on Prokhorov,” Ellis wrote about the prospect. “You’re not drafting him to be an all-around threat. Instead, you’re looking at his 6-foot-6 frame, his absolute bullet release and his brute strength. Is he a risk? Maybe. He’s not skilled enough, but he has good enough speed to be a project NHLer. His game can be basic at times, but his pure muscle mass makes him interesting around here.”