New York Islanders: Ilya Sorokin expected to come to North America
After rejecting an extension from his NHL team, the New York Islanders will finally get a glimpse at Ilya Sorokin, who should sign an ELC with the team shortly.
For years, the New York Islanders have been waiting for their top goalie prospect Ilya Sorokin to come over to North America. He has developed nicely in the KHL, emerging as one of the best goalies in the world. Sorokin’s arrival could be coming very soon.
According to KHL reporter Igor Eronko, Sorokin has refused to sign an extension with his KHL team (CSKA Moscow). This means he’s quite likely going to come to North America and sign with the Islanders, who drafted him back in 2014 in the third round.
For the Islanders, this is quite significant. They’ve been counting on Sorokin to eventually come over. Remember, a huge reason the Islanders gave a long-term deal to Semyon Varlamov was to help persuade Sorokin to come over. Plus, Varlamov was also brought in to potentially be a mentor to the young Russian goalie.
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It’s always hard to tell how goalies are going to adjust to the NHL, but Sorokin’s KHL numbers have been quite stellar.
Save Percentage By Season
- 2015-16: .953% (29 games)
- 2016-17: .929% (36 games)
- 2017-18: .931% (31 games)
- 2018-19: .940% (40 games)
- 2019-20: .935% (40 games)
Cheap, young goalies are like gold in the NHL. Finally, it appears the Islanders will have one. This is very important because the Islanders are probably going to start spending some more money, especially once their new arena opens. It should also give them the opportunity not just to surround Mathew Barzal with talent, but re-sign him to a lucrative extension as well.
Takeaways From The Signing
The big thing to takeaway from Sorokin’s decision is that the Metropolitan Division is full of young goalies. For a while, the Islanders didn’t have one. But now they do. Sorokin will join a division with numerous talented young goalies.
The Washington Capitals have Ilya Samsonov. Alexandar Georgiev and Igor Shesterkin are with the New York Rangers. Carter Hart plays for the Philadelphia Flyers. The New Jersey Devils have MacKenzie Blackwood, who quietly had a great rookie season this season, especially down the stretch. Even the Pittsburgh Penguins have Tristan Jarry.
If Islanders fans want someone to compare Sorokin to, his KHL numbers compare favorably to those of Shesterkin and Samsonov. However, Sorokin is more ready than the latter was when he came over, but still less ready than the former.
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The biggest thing he’ll have to adjust to is the North American ice. The KHL features a larger rink, while the NHL has a slightly smaller one. This makes a fairly substantial difference, as goalies must make reactions differently in the NHL. It took Samsonov several years to get it down. The Islanders are hoping Sorokin, like Shesterkin, can make an immediate impact.