The NY Islanders could face a big problem between the pipes this season

There is little debate across the NHL landscape that Ilya Sorokin is one of the league's top goaltenders. Named No. 4 by NHL Network, Sorokin is the backbone of the NY Islanders and was one of the reasons the team remained in the playoff race as long as they did last season.

Despite Sorokin’s greatness, the Islanders could still face a problem between the pipes this season. 

It appears that Semyon Varlamov will be given every opportunity to retain his position as Sorokin’s backup, as the 38-year-old is reportedly coming off a double knee replacement and hasn’t appeared in an NHL game since Nov. 29, 2024.

As an insurance policy to Varlamov, Mathieu Darche signed Vitek Vanecek to a one-year, $1M contract. 

Vanecek, who has bounced around the league the past three seasons, has struggled to maintain form. With a sub .900 SV% over the past three years, Vanecek has totaled nine wins over his last 43 starts. The Islanders allowed 716 high-danger shots against last season according to Natural Stat Trick, the third-most in the NHL. Allowing goal-scoring opportunities so often, the defense in front of the netminder hasn't exactly put their backstop in the best of positions.

Then comes the worst-case scenario if Sorokin misses a significant period due to injury. Potentially having your third option between the pipes as a starter, a team with playoff aspirations could quickly be the front-runner for the first overall pick and the Landon Dupont sweepstakes.

With Pete DeBoer at the helm, this team could flip a switch and improve dramatically defensively, something they’ll surely need if they’re going to give their goaltenders any chance to succeed.

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