Is this the season NY Islanders' Ilya Sorokin finally gets his Vezina?

Franchise goalie Ilya Sorokin has been nothing short of incredible this season for the New York Islanders. Although he has had his ups and downs, there have been countless examples of Sorokin stealing games this year. Which we saw once again on Thursday night as his 35-save, 5.35 goals saved above expected performance against the Oilers absolutely stole the game for the Isles. Could this finally be the season where we see Ilya Sorokin take home the Vezina Trophy for the first time in his career?

Sorokin is among the league leaders in various categories.

The Russian goaltender is 15-11-2 through 28 games, holding a .915 save percentage and a 2.47 goals against average this season. His save percentage is ranked sixth in the league, and goals against average is ranked 13th. He also leads the league in shutouts with five. Sorokin's 22.3 GSAx is also leading the league, and the second place Logan Thompson is well behind him with a 17.4 GSAx.

The netminder has gotten back to his elite play in goal like we saw when he first came over from Russia. Through his first three seasons as an Islander, he played in 136 games, posting a .924 SV% and a 2.34 GAA, these numbers were among the best in the league over this time period. But during the past two seasons, through 117 games played, he has posted a .908 SV% and a 2.86 GAA. These numbers are by no means bad numbers for a goalie to have, but Sorokin is expected to be preforming much better than this.

As mentioned earlier, Sorokin has the ability to steal wins for the Isles. Which is a very important trait to have as a goaltender in the NHL, especially with the influx of offensive production seen recently. A prime example of Sorokin doing this can start with Thursday night's game against the Oilers. Patrick Roy had some praise for his starting goalie following the game, "We defend really well," Roy said, "Yes, they had some good looks and when they had those, Ilya was outstanding, he made some great saves for us."

He has finished within the top-10 of Vezina Trophy voting, done by the general managers of each team in the league, in each of the last four seasons. Including a runner-up during the 2022-23 season, where his play also earned him an All-Star Game spot and the ninth most votes for the Hart Trophy, as the league's MVP.

Sorokin will have to stay consistent and healthy for the remainder of the season to keep his name in the conversation for the trophy. But it seems like Sorokin is back to his elite play in net, and a Vezina Trophy may be in his near future.