Islanders and Ilya Sorokin on same page with contract negotiations

Everyone is waiting for news of signings. So far the New York Islanders haven’t officially announced anything. And while that’s all by design it’s a bit much for Islanders fans to handle while just about every other NHL has made some sort of signings as they prepare for 2021-22.

The Isles have a number of loose ends to tie up, perhaps the largest is signing their three big RFAs: Adam Pelech, Anthony Beauvillier, and Ilya Sorokin. Getting any information out from Lou Lamoriello’s cone of silence is impossible but in a recent chat with Russian outlet Sport Express, Ilya Sorokin discussed his negotiations with the club.

New York Islanders Ilya Sorokin on contract talks

I suggest you read the entire chat between Ilya Sorokin and Alexey Shevchenko. It’s a long conversation that goes from his early struggles in net, the KHL, how much he likes Long Island, and even how expensive his rent was last year.

The biggest takeaway for me was the chat about his contract. Shevchenko was direct when he asked Sorokin what were the key points in the discussion between the club and the RFAs. Sorokin was confident there weren’t any and it would all get done in the “next couple of weeks”.

Sorokin even dismisses any attempt to use returning to the KHL as a negotiation tactic. He’s staying and both he and the Islanders know this.

Both sides seem to be on the same page and simply need to iron out some “non-critical” points.

I’m sure no Islander fan was actually worried that things were going poorly between Lou and their RFA goalie, but if you were you can rest assured. Everything is going well between the Isles and Sorokin. The deal will be done (perhaps soon even) and he won’t be going back to Russia to force Lou to give him what he wants.