NHL Network ranking reflects how important Ilya Sorokin is to the NY Islanders

Ilya Sorokin spent much of last season keeping the New York Islanders in the playoff race. The NHL Network recognized just how important he was by ranking the franchise goaltender among the best players in the NHL heading into the 2026-27 season.

Sorokin was ranked No. 35 on NHL Network's Top 50 Players list after finishing as the Vezina Trophy runner-up for the second time in his career. Before the Olympic break, Sorokin was 20-13-2 with a 2.44 goals-against average, .916 save percentage and six shutouts. He eventually finished with a career-high seven shutouts, leading the NHL.

Then came the drop off.

Sorokin went 9-11-0 after the Olympics with an .886 save percentage as the Islanders eventually fell out of the playoff race. NHL Network's Mike Rupp pointed toward something Islanders fans watched happen in real time: Sorokin simply looked worn down.

"They relied on him a little too much," Rupp said, noting the Islanders couldn't turn to backup David Rittich as frequently during the second half. "This has happened for a few years now where he has faded a bit down the stretch because I think his workload is so heavy."

Former NHL goaltender Cory Schneider went even further when discussing Sorokin's value. "Means about everything," Schneider said. "The only reason they were in the position they were is, I think, because of Ilya."

That created an interesting debate on the NHL Network set. Is Sorokin actually so good that he masks some of the Islanders' bigger problems?

Without him, perhaps the Islanders finish much lower in the standings and are forced to confront where the roster really stands. With Sorokin, they're capable of hanging around the playoff race almost every season.

"With this guy, it is," Rupp said when asked whether the Islanders are a playoff team. "He is a guy that can single-handedly almost get you to the playoffs every single season."

That's why Pete DeBoer's arrival could matter as much to Sorokin as anyone. Schneider pointed toward DeBoer's history of structured defensive teams as one way to reduce the punishment Sorokin takes.

The Islanders don't need Sorokin to be better. They need to make his job easier.

If they do, he and the Isles may both rise in the rankings next season.

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