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Relating to New York Islanders star netminder Ilya Sorokin, the cat is out of the bag.
The 29-year-old goaltender, who’s coming into the primary of an eight-year deal value $8.25 million yearly, suffered an offseason upper-body, which normal supervisor Lou Lamoriello shared with us this previous Friday.
We discovered extra on Monday, by chance, on the group’s charity golf outing, when head coach Patrick Roy mentioned Sorokin’s struggles from a yr in the past and his degree of confidence in him.
“I am not involved as a result of we’ve got two excellent goaltenders,” Roy mentioned. “Within the exit assembly with Ilya … he is aware of what he has to do, and he is aware of that I am with him. He is aware of I am trusting him, and he is aware of that he will be an vital participant on our group.
“So, the surgical procedure that he had for his again, it isn’t the proper factor, however I believe he’ll be tremendous. And I do consider that we’ve got such a superb medical workers that’ll handle him. They’re going to be sure that when he is prepared, he’ll assist us.”
“He is aware of what he has to do, and he is aware of that I am with him. He is aware of I am trusting him.”#Isles HC Patrick Roy shouldn’t be involved about Ilya Sorokin, who’s trying to bounce again after a troublesome season and offseason again surgical procedure @NHLdotcom https://t.co/beAyUw2UPL
— Stefen Rosner (@stefen_rosner) September 16, 2024
Over the past two seasons, Islanders backup goaltender Semyon Varlamov has missed time with varied accidents, resulting in Lane Lambert operating Sorokin into the bottom.
The Islanders did recall goalies in back-to-back years when Varlamov was on the shelf, Cory Schneider in 2022-23 and Ken Appleby in 2023-24.
Though Schneider was once thought-about an elite netminder earlier than accidents derailed his profession, neither was a viable choice to man an NHL crease, and that damage the group.
Jakub Skarek, a 24-year-old with another yr remaining on his deal, has did not turn into an NHL choice regardless of spending 4 years within the system.
Though we do not know if Sorokin was affected by something throughout a career-worst 2023-24 marketing campaign, which noticed him get demoted to the backup down the stretch and within the playoffs, not having somebody to provide him a breather when Varlamov was out seemingly performed an element in his struggles.
The Islanders realized they needed to handle their goaltender depth, and so they did simply that this summer season.
In March, whereas the Islanders have been in Carolina for the playoffs, they signed former Ottawa Senators netminder Marcus Hogberg to a two-year deal to be an choice if one of many two NHL tendies received damage.
Then, on the 2024 NHL Draft, the Islanders used their fourth and fifth-round picks on goaltenders, drafting Dmitry Gamzin out of the KHL and Marcus Gidlof out of Sweden.
These two be part of Tristan Lennox (2021 third spherical) and Henrik Tikkanen (2020 seventh spherical) because the Islanders goaltending prospects.
However the Islanders weren’t executed simply but.
The Islanders additionally introduced in 35-year-old Lengthy Island native Keith Kinkaid — my previous goalie coach — to camp on an expert tryout.
Here is the coaching camp goalie depth chart in checklist type:
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Sorokin
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Varlamov
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Hogberg
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Kinkaid
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Skarek
-
Tikkanen
-
Lennox
Gidlof and Gazmin remained abroad.
“We be taught by expertise, regardless of how previous we get,” Lamoriello mentioned final Friday. “Final yr, we received caught just a little with depth, so we made positive we’ve got depth in our goaltending. So far as who that will probably be, I believe everyone knows who primary and quantity two are… after which after that, I’m excited to see the competitors, and I’m hoping we’ve got a tough option to make, whoever that could be.”
Until Skarek’s contract will get terminated or Sorokin is not prepared for the beginning of the common season regardless of the idea that he’ll be good to go, it is unlikely that Kinkaid will get a contract out of this, provided that Hogberg has signed.
Kinkaid is probably going right here simply in case Sorokin is not in a position to take part in coaching camp, so every group — they run three teams throughout the recreation — has two goalies every.
Lennox suffered an harm throughout rookie camp and has missed the final three days of skates, so it is doable the Islanders solely have 5 goalies at camp, which complicates issues, however that is an issue for an additional day.
Gidlof and Gazmin remained abroad.
You possibly can by no means have too many goalies, and this summer season, the Islanders made positive that they’re set for the current and the longer term.
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