What more could Ilya Sorokin have accomplished in 2022-23?
Not much is the answer. The only thing missing from the NY Islanders' star netminder was a Vezina Trophy being added to his trophy collection. Unfortunately, a fantastic season from the record-setting Boston Bruins, in large part due to the performance of Linus Ullmark, was the only thing standing between Sorokin and hardware.
Last season still was not a lost one for the Russian netminder, even without coming away with an award, as he cemented himself as one of the best goalies in the world and looks to remain at the top for the foreseeable future. He ranked in the top five of every major goaltending category this past season and was a huge reason that the Islanders even made the playoffs, where they ended up losing in the first round to the Carolina Hurricanes. That is the reason GM Lou Lamoriello chose not to waste any time signing him to an eight-year extension worth $8.25 million per season.
The future is bright in the net for the Isles with Sorokin being the man for the next nine seasons. If he is starting in the playoffs for New York, they will always have a shot to make a big run, with their next chance coming in 2023-24 to avenge their first-round loss.