Goaltending
The Islanders are as solid as it gets in net. With Vezina-caliber goaltending from Ilya Sorokin and a more-than-competent backup in Semyon Varlamov, the Isles don’t need to lose any sleep in this department.
While Sorokin didn’t have his best season last year, there’s plenty of reason to be optimistic he’ll bounce back. A full year of Patrick Roy, a former Vezina winner, behind the bench, and solid defense in front of him, Sorokin should regain the form we say in 2022-23.
Overall, the Isles look like they’ll be in the playoff hunt this upcoming season. The turnaround we saw when Roy took over could be a sign of things to come. Plus, there’s a chance Lamoriello has one or two more aces up his sleeve. That situation should be cause for optimism this upcoming season.