The New York Islanders may need to find goaltending depth amid Sorokin rumors

New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin “has been battling something.” That claim from insider Elliotte Friedman seems to point toward a plausible explanation for Sorokin’s down year last season.

The secretive nature with which the New York Islanders are handling this situation may seem to indicate something serious may be happening.

If that’s the case, is it time for the Isles to seek help in goal?

In my estimation, it’s time for the Isles to search for help. The prospect of shutting Sorokin down at some point this season seems like a real possibility.

On the one hand, there’s some good news. Semyon Varlamov can easily step into the starting role. As such, there isn’t any need to push the panic button. The Isles can ride Varlamov as he’s proven he is more than a capable starter.

But what about the depth behind Varlamov?

The New York Islanders’ depth chart features three young, unproven goalies. 6’7” Finnish goaltender Henrik Tikkanen figures to start in the AHL this season. The same goes for Jakub Skarek.

But there’s one netminder on the Isles’ depth chart that stands out: Marcus Hogberg.

Hogberg last played with the Ottawa Senators in 2020-21. He posted a 3.74 GAA and a .876 SV%. So, supposing Sorokin needs to miss time, could Hogberg be the solution behind Varlamov?

Available Goaltending depth options for the New York Islanders

As it stands, New York Islanders fans should shudder at the thought of rolling with a tandem of Varlamov and Hogberg. Of course, Varlamov is fine. He can get the job done. Unfortunately, he can’t play every single game. Even if the team asked him to shoulder an unusually high workload, he could handle 60 starts tops.

Therefore, the Isles need a competent back to support Varlamov. But here’s where things get tricky. Trading for a reliable backup goalie would make sense if the club is sure Sorokin would miss significant time.

But that doesn’t seem the case at the moment.

So, the next best option would be to explore available free agents. I like the idea of a veteran goalie like Martin Jones. Jones inadvertently saved the Toronto Maple Leafs’ season last year when Ilya Samsonov and Joseph Woll went down with injuries.

A solid veteran like Jones wouldn’t cost more than a league-minimum deal. That sort of contract would be a fantastic insurance policy for the Isles to have.

Sure, Jones isn’t the only goalie out there still looking for a job. Antti Raanta or Kevin Lankinen stand out as options. But let’s get real for a second. The Isles are looking to contend for a playoff spot. Unless Patrick Roy decides to put the pads on himself, the Isles will need to look for insurance just in case Sorokin needs to miss time this upcoming season.