Islanders: Ilya Sorokin Could Be Waiting For 2019-20 Season To Return

New York Islanders prospect, Ilya Sorokin hasn’t signed yet. He may be waiting for the status of the 2019-2020 NHL season before signing.

As of May 1, Ilya Sorokin is a free man and can sign with the New York Islanders. Naturally, fans wanted this to be done the instant it turned midnight in Russia. Unfortunately, it’s a little more complicated than that.

Gillian Kemmerer, who covers the KHL, reported that both Sorokin and Kirill Kaprizov are both waiting to see about coming over for 2019-2020. Normally, a contract signed now would go into effect for 2020-2021 but we’re in unique circumstances.

With the 2019-2020 season in flux, the prospects are waiting it out to see that if the season does return at a later date, if they’d be able to sign for this season. The NHL would have to relax the rules a little bit but this seems like it could be a possibility.

The benefit for Sorokin, in this case, would be the ELC. Essentially, he would be getting an ELC contract for one-year, the remainder of the 2019-2020 season. Whenever the season would end for the Isles, he would then become an RFA.

Essentially, he wouldn’t have to wait a year before being able to negotiate a contract. We know the max for an ELC is $925,000 with performance bonuses on top of that, but if Sorokin can play 10 games on an ELC and then become an RFA that would be ideal for him.

In these unique times, anything is on the table. Normally, what Sorokin and Kaprizov are trying to do wouldn’t be allowed but let’s say for argument’s sake the season is going to return in July or August, should the NHL allow the Sorokin’s of the world to play?

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It’s an interesting thought, and with no NHL right now there’s no reason for Sorokin to rush into signing. It’s a matter of when not if for Sorokin putting pen to paper. Just be patient (easier said than done).