NY Islanders prospect Dmitry Gamzin is drawing similar comparisons to Ilya Sorokin in the KHL

The 2025-26 season hasn’t been kind to CSKA Moscow, Russia’s most famous and successful franchise in the nation's history. Sitting in the final playoff spot in the KHL’s Eastern Conference with 29 games remaining, the Red Army Team is fighting for its playoff lives.

Despite the team's struggles, one of the reasons they remain in playoff contention is the play of their goaltender and NY Islanders prospect Dmitry Gamzin.

Gamzin is among the KHL's best right now

Gamzin, 22, a fourth-round pick by the Islanders in 2024, has been lights out this season, sporting a league-best 1.80 GAA, with a .929 SV%, and recorded his third shutout of the season on Sunday in a 1-0 SO loss.

The Islanders' current starting netminder, Ilya Sorokin, was groomed within the CSKA organization, and Gamzin is beginning to draw comparisons to the former Gamzin Cup winner.

According to Ryan Bader of Hockey Prospecting, Gamzin, now in his draft +4 year, has a rating similar to Sorokin.

In fact, in their full comparisons to NHL’s, Sorokin and Gamzin both compare to NY Rangers netminder Igor Shesterkin, one of the best goaltenders in the world.

With no current projected timeline regarding a jump to the NHL, Gamzin is under contract with CSKA through the 2027-28 season after signing a two-year extension in the off-season. 

Potentially the Islanders' goalie of the future, there’s no rush to get Gamzin to North America. Sorokin is signed through the 2031-32 season, so allowing Gamzin to play out his current deal would allow him to continue developing in a starting role, followed by entering into a tandem with Sorokin.

It’ll be a while until we see Gamzin in blue and orange, but his development is trending in a positive direction.