Report: Sorokin Possibly Hurt as Training Camp Approaches

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet returned to 32 Thoughts: The Podcast with a whip-around episode discussing every team in the NHL. Regarding the New York Islanders, Friedman praised the signing of Anthony Duclair, talked about the curiosity surrounding Brock Nelson’s next contract, a full year of Patrick Roy, and how the departures of Matt Martin and Cal Clutterbuck changed the roster’s dynamic.

Then, Friedman dropped the bomb. He reported hearing that Ilya Sorokin has been “battling something.” He added how private the organization is, and that nobody would fully confirm. When it came to Sorokin’s agent, he said the agent “wouldn’t confirm out of respect to Lamoriello.”

The full segment can be heard here (1:34:20).

He also discussed the severity is unknown, but if Friedman goes on the record with news like this, you can almost always take it to the bank.

If Sorokin is hurt, it raises a lot of questions. The first would be what the injury is, how long he has been managing it, and whether he will miss the start of training camp and the season. None of those details are known, nor will anyone from the organization confirm or deny the news.

When Did the Injury Occur?

If he is hurt, one can make an educated guess and say perhaps his precipitous drop-off in play last year at the end of the year was due to this injury. Sorokin struggled mightily and lost the net to compatriot Semyon Varlamov down the stretch and for Game One against the Hurricanes.

But if Sorokin was hurt, then why did he get Game 3? Anyone who watched Game 1 or Game 2 knows that it was not Semyon Varlamov’s fault that the team trailed 2-0. If Sorokin was hurt, that could explain why he looked so tentative and let in the frankly terrible goals he allowed that led to the Islanders losing Game 3 despite controlling much of the game.

Professional athletes will always push to play, and Sorokin is as tough as they come. Undoubtedly, he’d have wanted a chance to be a hero, come in for Game 3, and turn the series around. But after hardly playing for the better part of a month, coupled now with news there might have been an injury, it boggles the mind that the decision was made to put him in the net for Game 3.

There’s also the chance the injury occurred over the off-season while Sorokin tried to regain form and confidence. If that occurred, it would be even more unfortunate for Sorokin. This season is pivotal for him, the first year of his mega-extension, yet he seems set to at least start training camp on the shelf.

Sorokin is as big of a piece to success for the Islanders as anyone. For the Islanders to maximize their ceiling, Sorokin has to be at his Vezina-worthy best. When Sorokin is on, he’s as good as any goalie in the NHL.

Who Could Backup Varlamov in a Potential Sorokin Absence?

So, what does it mean for the Islanders if he’s hurt? First, I think it adds even more color to the Marcus Hogberg signing. Hogberg, 29, signed this summer from Europe after having success in his native Sweden. He has NHL and AHL experience with the Ottawa Senators, who drafted him. If Sorokin is not ready on day one, the Islanders tandem will be Varlamov and Marcus Hogberg.

Hogberg last made an NHL appearance in 2020-21, so despite his NHL experience, relying on him may not be the wisest endeavor. Current UFA goalies include Antti Raanta and Martin Jones, both of whom can be had for cheap, especially if it’s only for a few weeks. That will really tell the tale at the start of camp.

The Islanders’ first back-to-back of the season comes on October 25 and 26, when they play against the New Jersey Devils on the other side of the Hudson. The next night, the Islanders host the Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers. The team has two days off, and then they host Anaheim on Tuesday the 29th and play in Columbus on the 30th.

Consecutive back-to-backs to end October. The team very much would like to have Sorokin for that stretch, with five games being played over eight days in four different cities.

If a new goalie emerges on a PTO while Sorokin does not participate, his status will be extremely telling. All of this will remain unknown until the Islanders’ training camp begins.