NY Islanders: How Did Lou Do? Grades for Each Signing

Ilya Sorokin

8 Years, $8.25M AAV

It was always assumed there was mutual interest between Sorokin and the Islanders to lock up the franchise's cornerstone netminder to a long-term extension - but the news of a deal being struck when it did was a shock to most.

Sorokin faced a difficult first day on the job with the Islanders, allowing five goals to the NY Rangers after being thrown into the fire as Varlamov was injured in warmups - but it's been smooth sailing for the Russian netminder ever since.

Over the course of his three seasons with the Islanders, Sorokin has appeared in 136 games, posting a 2.34 GAA and .924SV%. Perhaps his most impressive stat has been his 16 shutouts. Recording a shutout in 12.4% of starts sits atop the record books as the highest in the history of the NHL since the start of the league's modern era (1943-44).

When his contract kicks in at the start of the 2024-25 season, Sorokin will be the fourth highest-paid goaltender in the NHL (as things currently stand) behind Carey Price ($10.5M AAV), Sergei Bobrovsky ($10M AAV), and Andrei Vasilevskiy ($9.5M AAV).

The contract will take Sorokin to the waning days of his career, as he'll be 36 at its conclusion. A max term deal was always assumed - the fact that Lamoriello kept the dollars under $9M a season as the salary cap is expected to rise next season, the deal will begin to look more team-friendly for an elite-level goaltender.

Grade: A