The New York Islanders have invested their goaltending future in the hands of Ilya Sorokin. Following his stellar 2022-23 NHL season in which he led the NHL with six shutouts and was a Vezina Trophy finalist, the club signed him to a eight-year contract extension worth $66 million, with an AAV of $8,25 million.

After selecting the 6-foot-3, 195-pound Russian netminder 78th overall in the 2014 NHL entry draft, the Islanders waited patiently and excitedly for his arrival on North American shores. Meanwhile, Sorokin was turning in epic performances in and for his homeland.

For five straight seasons from 2015-16 through 2019-20, Sorokin was earning selection to play in the KHL All-Star Game. During the 2015-16 season, he was chosen as the top goaltender imn the KHL. He turned in a stingy, league-leading 1.06 GAA for CSKA Moscow. In 2018-19, he backstopped that club to the KHL Gagarin Cup title. During the KHL postseason that spring, Sorokin was 16-4 with a .947 save percentage, five shutouts and a 1.19 GAA. He was named Gagarin Cup MVP.

On the international stage, Sorokin was a gold medal winner with Russia at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games. In four appearances for Russia at the IIHF World Championship, Sorokin has earned bronze medals in 2016, 2017 and 2019. He was also a silver medal winner with the Russian team at the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship.

The Islanders finally got the netminder’s name on a one-year contract in 2020. His rookie states in 2020-21 showed a 2.17 GAA, .918 save percentage and a 13-6-3 mark in 21 appearances. That spring, he’d make franchise history by becoming the first Islanders goaltender win each of his first four Stanley Cup playoff appearances. 

On Nov, 23, 2022, Sorokin made a career-high 49 saves while blanking the Edmonton Oilers 3-0. That’s the third-most saves ever made by an Islanders goalie during a shutout performance. 

His breakout campaign came during the 2022-23 season. En route to selection as a Veina finalist, Sorokin’s numbers were including a 31-22-7 record, with a 2.34 GAA and .924 save percentage. He wound up third in save percentage and sixth in GAA that season. The harder he worked, the better he played. When making 40 or more saves, Sorokin was 5-0-2 in 2022-23. Sorokin made 30 or more saves in 25 of his 62 games.

He was selected to play in the NHL All-Star Game that season, and also earned the goalie nod on the season-ending NHL Second All-Star Team.