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NY Islanders' goaltender Ilya Sorokin has built a resume worthy of winning the Vezina Trophy

ByMichael Stahurski|
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Jan 19, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; New York Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin (30) during a stop in play against the Vancouver Canucks in the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Jan 19, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; New York Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin (30) during a stop in play against the Vancouver Canucks in the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images | Bob Frid-Imagn Images

For the second time in his career, NY Islanders' goaltender Ilya Sorokin has been named a finalist for the Vezina Trophy. The NHL announced today that, along with Sorokin, Andrei Vasilevskiy and Jeremy Swayman round out the top three.

After a disappointing 2024-25 season, Sorokin found his game once again this season, serving as one of the main reasons the Islanders were in the playoff hunt for as long as they were.

A case for Sorokin to win the Vezina

So what are Sorokin's chances of taking home the hardware? If we're looking at traditional statistics, he trails both Vasilevskiy and Swayman. Among goaltenders who played in at least 15 games, Sorokin ranked 18th in SV% (.906) and 20th in GAA (2.68) - both below his career averages. But when it comes to blanking the opponent, Sorokin led the league with seven shutouts.

Where Sorokin separates himself from the pack is the analytics. No matter which model you look at, Sorokin ranks among the top three in terms of goals saved above expected. According to Sport Logiq, the Islanders' netminder led the league in goalie steals with 15, a metric measured when a goaltender's goals saved above expected are greater than the score differential.

Perhaps the Islanders' biggest weakness as a whole has played on voters' minds when casting their ballots: the team's defense. Sorokin ranked fifth in the NHL in expected goals against across the entire season, with 169.3 according to Natural Stat Trick. Along with that, he faced the most high-danger shots at 505, but still managed to lead the league in high-danger SV% at .869.

Unlike Vasilevskiy and Swayman's teams, Sorokin's team failed to reach the postseason. Did the voters ignore team success and only focus on individual performance? If that's the case, Sorokin has a strong chance at becoming only the second Islanders' goalie to capture the Vezina Trophy, joining Hall of Famer Billy Smith.

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