Sorokin still ranked high among NHL goalies despite NY Islanders slide last season

Ilya Sorokin may not have matched the brilliance of his 2022-23 campaign over the last two seasons, but the New York Islanders’ franchise goaltender is still considered one of the best in the game. The NHL Network ranked Sorokin sixth on its annual Top 10 Goalies Right Now list, a sign of the respect he continues to command leaguewide.

In what many described as a “down year,” Sorokin still turned in numbers that most NHL teams would envy. The 30-year-old appeared in 61 games, starting 60, and finished with a 30-24-6 record, 2.71 goals-against average, .907 save percentage, and four shutouts. He ranked 10th in the NHL in wins and tied for seventh in shutouts, proving he remained a steady force in net even when the Islanders struggled defensively.

The broader body of work since Sorokin’s arrival further underscores his status. Since the start of the 2021-22 season, he ranks eighth in wins (112), fifth in save percentage (.916, minimum 100 games), and is tied for second in shutouts (19). Those figures place him firmly in elite company and explain why, even after a season that fell short of Vezina-level expectations, his reputation has hardly wavered.

Sorokin’s challenge in 2024-25 will be bouncing back to the form that saw him finish as a Vezina Trophy runner-up and NHL All-Star in 2022-23, when he put up a remarkable .924 save percentage. The Islanders’ defensive lapses last year put more pressure on him than ever before, but the belief in Sorokin’s ability to steal games and anchor a playoff run remains strong.

Connor Hellebuyck was ranked No.1 after his second straight Vezina Trophy and third overall, followed by two-time Stanley Cup champion Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning. New York Rangers goaltender, and Sorokin close friend Igor Shesterikin was ranked third, with only Sergei Bobrovsky of the Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers and the Dallas Stars netminder Jake Oettinger the only other goaltenders ranked ahead of Sorokin.

The sixth-place ranking is both a reminder of Sorokin’s floor — still among the NHL’s elite — and of his ceiling, which few goalies in the league can touch when he’s at his very best.