New York Islanders Need to Better Insulate Ilya Sorokin

New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin has the ability to decide his team’s fate. When he’s playing at an elite level, the Islanders tend to be competitive. When Sorokin is playing poorly, the team is dismal; it’s rare for them to win when their star goaltender is struggling.

In 2025-26, the Islanders did a poor job of insulating their goaltender from a heavy workload, starting 54 games. If the team wants to improve in 2026-27, they must better protect their goaltenders.

Sorokin’s Sparkling Season

Sorokin’s base stats, a .905 save percentage and a 2.68 goals-against average, are not special. His goals-against average was 19th among NHL goalies who played at least 20 games, and his save percentage was 16th. Both stats are around the league average. But they do not tell the full story.

According to Money Puck, Sorokin was the third-best goalie in the NHL in goals saved above expected (GSAx) at 25.3, stopping 25 more goals than an average goalie would have. His goals saved above expected per 60 (GSAx/60) ranked third among goalies who played at least 50 games, at 0.471. He essentially stole a goal every other game last season.

He was the third-best starting goaltender and very nearly propelled the Islanders into the playoffs. He was rewarded with a second-place finish in voting for the Vezina Trophy, awarded to the league’s best goaltender.

Sorokin’s Extreme Workload

Sorokin’s 55 games (played) last season were the 11th most. Only Andrei Vasilevskiy and Lukas Dostal played more and made the playoffs. Yet neither one made more saves than Sorokin because they didn’t face as many shots.

The Islanders’ defensive play was among the biggest concerns last season. Sorokin’s 1,530 shots against ranked ninth in the NHL. His 1,386 saves were eighth.

According to Natural Stat Trick, the Islanders had an expected goals against per 60 (xGA/60) of 2.93 at 5-on-5, meaning they were basically expected to allow almost three goals per game based on the chances they gave up. This is a gross oversimplification, but it’s the basic takeaway. That was the third-worst xGA/60 total in the NHL, behind the Vancouver Canucks and Chicago Blackhawks. There are reasons for that across the organization, but it is not good enough.

Sorokin spared everyone’s blushes, bringing the actual goals against per 60 (GA/60) at 5-on-5 down to 2.42. That ranked 14th, barely behind the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Carolina Hurricanes. In fact, that GA/60 is slightly better than the vanquished Eastern Conference Finalists, the Montreal Canadiens. Sorokin is excellent at hiding the defensive warts on his roster, which is what he’s paid to do. But even the best goalie isn’t a “fix-all” solution. The Islanders must be better.

Islanders Must Insulate Their Goaltenders

It wasn’t just one line or one defensive pairing that was problematic. It was the entire roster, which is a sign of either poor roster construction or poor coaching. A new voice behind the bench in Pete DeBoer may bring a new approach to solving lingering problems. Defensive stability must be one of the first things addressed when training camp begins next month.

Other solutions include roster transactions, but that is increasingly unlikely in late August and early September. It takes two teams to make a trade, and Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche could have trouble finding a trade partner willing to help him redesign his defense. With only the remnants of the free agent class still available, there is no answer there, which means management will likely have to start the season searching for internal solutions.

Reducing the number of games Sorokin plays isn’t really a solution here either. The issue is that any goalie will face a drastically heavier workload when they play in front of this Islanders defense. Sorokin’s exceptional talent means he is better at coping with it. Sacrificing his ability to steal a game for extra rest seems like a good idea, but the same issue will apply to whoever takes over in goal, be it David Rittich or Semyon Varlamov.

Improving their poor play in front of their goalies could be the key to returning to the playoffs, even without solving their scoring woes. If last season’s standard persists, the Islanders will burn out their star netminder. Even if Sorokin doesn’t get worn out, the team will not improve until their defensive play improves. It could be another season of mediocrity, leaving a sour taste in the mouths of the Islander faithful.