ilya sorokin

Who will be the next king of hockey in New York?

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Yesterday marked the end of an era.

Henrik Lundqvist, the goalie for the New York Rangers for the last 15 years and a surefire Hall of Famer, was bought out by the organization with one year left on his seven-year, $59-million contract he signed in 2014.

The decision to buyout the 38-year-old was almost written on the wall ever since the arrival of Igor Shesterkin — the organization’s highly-touted Russian goalie — towards the middle of the season, and the rise of 24-year-old Alexander Georgiev the past two seasons. Still, it was a painful day not just for Rangers fans, but for all hockey fans in the metropolitan area who watched Lundqvist’s reign to becoming one of the greatest goalies ever.

Lundqvist truly was a King. And New York was his kingdom, especially from the hockey portion of the sports landscape in the area. He was the best player — other than the short stint of Jaromir Jagr — at his position of any of the three Metro teams from the moment he made his debut.

But that time has come to an end. A new king shall arise.

The question now is, who will be the next to take the throne? There’s plenty of worthy candidates who all have a case.

Igor Shesterkin

The youngster who was being groomed to be the heir-apparent to Lundqvist. He’s now the Blueshirts’ starting goaltender and will be for the foreseeable future. Shesterkin showed the fans and his teammates all the hype was real about him — and that he could very well be a dominant force moving forward — when he went 10–2-0 in his 12 starts before the coronavirus pandemic took hold of the hockey season.

The future looks bright for Shesterkin and the Rangers. And he has all the capabilities of being the ruler of the sport in this town if all things play out.

Ilya Sorokin

Shesterkin isn’t the only new name on the scene that might help lead to New York’s next great era of hockey. His Russian counterpart, Ilya Sorokin, is now officially with the Islanders, and he is positioned to be the franchise goaltender on Long Island for hopefully the next decade.

The 25-year-old Sorokin was a king in his own right back in his native homeland and oozes winning and star power. He could very much take this market by storm with those traits and if he’s backstopping the Isles back to the glory days they once had back in the early 80s.

Artemi Panarin

Panarin has only called New York home for one year, but it’s already proven that he’s become one of the best athletes in any of the four major sports. We know he was already a household name before he arrived last summer, now though, the 28-year-old has a strong chance of being the next one to take the thrown around here. The guy is a superstar — he was a Hart Trophy candidate this past season — and he’s got that infectious personality which makes him a joy to watch play (the Rockette goal celebration is also very Broadway).

Panarin is going to be here for a while, another six years to be exact. In that time, the Rangers have the makings of being a powerhouse and he as the face of it all.

Mathew Barzal

As the Islanders continue to build toward a perennial winner, it’s Barzal who has become the face of the franchise and who the entire league recognizes when the franchise is mentioned.

Only 23, Barzal has already accomplished some great things in his career, including a Calder Trophy back in 2017-18. And he’s not even close to being the star everyone knows he’s capable of being. Beyond that, Barzal — most likely being an Islander for the next decade and more — has the off the ice qualifications too.

He’s got his own style. His flow has made him an internet sensation. And he’s got the look of someone who you’d put on a billboard.

All of that resonates around these parts.

Jack Hughes

Look everyone can discredit New Jersey as not being a part of the NY hockey landscape, but they still are very much a part of the fabric and its history. That’s why Jack Hughes gets a nod on this list.

The number one pick overall in 2019, Hughes is just at the beginning of his career. He was a superstar during his time at the U.S. National Development Program, and the hope is it will be the same for his time over the next number of years with the Devils. The franchise is leaning on him to bring back those years of consistent winning and championships.

Hughes is just 19, so he’s still raw. But he could very much own this town if he can help turn the Devs around and live up to his top pick status.

Kaapo Kakko

The kid picked right after Hughes at last summer’s draft, Kaapo Kakko is also just starting what hopes to be an excellent career on Broadway. Kakko definitely showed his warts as a freshman this past year, but the greatness which made him a top-2 pick flashed on a number of occasions. Being from Finland, he’s another European export who is expected to be one of the major pieces to the puzzle for the Rangers.

Kakko said when he first landed in New York, “it’s a nice city”. Well, the city has the chance to be his very much down the road.

Nico Hischier

Hischier, who also plays on the Jersey side of the Hudson, has quietly become one of the best players in the area. Another former top overall pick, he’s trying to bring the Devils back to respectability; and he has in some ways. He also is only getting better.

Just 21, he might be the best player in the area down the line.

Mika Zibanejad

The Blueshirts are loaded for the future as said above. Zibanejad is on that list. He’s become one of the synonymous names on Broadway and had the best season of his career in 2019-20.

Zibanejad is also the kind of star who can shine big in the city.

The guy is a DJ in his own right and has released his own music. That’s a total win-win if you’re looking for the next guy to be the face of the sport in the city. Add in winning, and Zibanejad is a sneaky contender for the crown.

Alexis LaFreniere

The soon-to-be number one pick, next Tuesday to be exact. LaFreniere has been compared to some of the greats playing in the game right now, and he will have the Worlds Most Famous Arena — Madison Square Garden — as his playground. The 18-year-old phenom has already expressed his love for the city and the chance to play with another star at the top of this list, Panarin.

He’s going to get his chance. Aside from that, he’s got all the hype of being Broadway’s next big hit, pardon the pun.

That itself could make him the next in line to wear the crown.

Who do you think will be the next king of hockey in New York?

The Islanders’ goaltending situation is the best it has been in a long time

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It’s been a few days now since the New York Islanders’ fantastic playoff run came to an end. That time has allowed for a lot of reflection on how they got as far as they did and what the future may hold heading into next season, whenever that begins.

One of the keys to the future — and hopefully more success for the organization — is their goaltending situation. Even with the news this morning that Thomas Greiss — whose been a soldier for the team the last five years and is an unrestricted free agent going into next month — will most likely test the market, the Isles’ situation in goal is as good as it’s been in a long time.

Now some can argue their goaltending had reached its peak two years ago. The duo that season, Greiss and Robin Lehner, backstopped the team to a 103-point season, a first-round sweep of the Penguins and was awarded the William M. Jennings Trophy while Lehner was a Vezina Trophy finalist. Or even prior to that when Jaro Halak and Greiss manned the net a few years back. Both those situations brought good success to the Islanders, but didn’t last long-term. But what they have now has the makings of being one of the best in the game, not just now but for the foreseeable future.

It begins with Semyon Varlamov and ends with Ilya Sorokin.

Varlamov’s coming off a career-reviving playoff run and has solidified himself as the true No. 1 in net. After a so-so regular season, he proved a lot of his doubters wrong by backstopping the Islanders get to the Eastern Conference Finals and nearly stealing the series against Tampa. His wonderful performance also showed why Lamoriello was so keen on getting him last summer.

“Varly has been there for us all along,” were the words of teammate Cal Clutterbuck during the Tampa series. Heed the words of Andy Greene as well too. “He fights out there and battles with us.”

Varlamov has another three years left on his contract, but after his performance this summer, it feels like he’s got a couple of good years ahead of him. Maybe not only as a starter but a mentor also to the phenom about to be described.

That phenom is Sorokin. This is where things look even brighter.

Sorokin, is the 25-year-old Russian star whom the organization finally was able to sign and get over to North America this summer. Despite not having played a game yet on this side of the pond, he is expected to be the future in goal for the franchise for what should be the next decade.

All the Islanders can do is look a few miles down the road to Manhattan and see what the Rangers have with his friend and fellow countrymen, Igor Shesterkin, for what they hope to see.

The numbers he put up in his KHL career were incredible and earned him the reputation as the “best goalie not in the NHL”. To the Isles’ fortune though, Sorokin is already signed for next season and got to experience the likes of the postseason because of the time he spent with the team while they were in the bubble.

“From an organizational standpoint, he’s working with our goaltending coaches all the days,” head coach Barry Trotz said about Sorokin last week. “He’s taking English lessons daily, with a tutor and learning that, and he’s getting English all day and hanging out and getting the personalities. From a standpoint of integration, if you’re a player coming in, there couldn’t be a better situation.”

“With Ilya’s background, that could create some tension. It has created zero tension, and you find out what a terrific person he is and how he’s integrated with the other players. He’s fit in seamlessly,” Trotz also added.

The Islanders have a lot to look forward to in the coming years. Their goaltending though, might be the most exciting out of all of it.

Their situation is in really good hands and is the best it’s been in a long time.

New York Islanders: Lou Lamoriello’s Case for General Manager of the Year

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New York Islanders, Lou Lamoriello

New York Islanders‘ general manager Lou Lamoriello is a nominee for the Jim Gregory award. This award goes to the best general manager of the year, as voted by his peers. Mr. Lamoriello has a strong case for winning this award. The Islanders’ captain and franchise player John Tavares left in free agency, and just 700+ days later, the Islanders are in the ECF. This doesn’t just happen off of good coaching; there needs to be a good roster put forth. Lou Lamoriello gave the Islanders the extra pieces they needed to make a deep playoff run.

Trading for Pageau

J.G. Pageau has been one of the Islanders’ top playoff performers this year. Also, Pageau doesn’t lose too many faceoffs. On top of that, Pageau also is on the penalty kill. Lou Lamoriello traded late-round conditional picks for a second-line center and then signed him hours later to a cheap contract. Pageau is a perfect Islander, and Lamoriello traded virtually nothing for him. How many points did that late first-rounder score?

Signed Ilya Sorokin

The Islanders drafted goalie Ilya Sorokin in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. It took six years just to sign him. Lou Lamoriello not only signed Ilya Sorokin for this year but resigned him to a one year deal. Lamoriello signed Sorokin twice in the span of a day, while Garth Snow couldn’t sign Sorokin at all. Sorokin is going to be a key piece in the Isles’ quest to become Stanley Cup champions.

Signing Derick Brassard

Every Islander fan always moans about how there are too many bottom-six forwards on the roster, how the young guys won’t get a shot because of that. The young guys like Bellows, Wahlstrom, and Holmstrom have to prove they’re worthy of taking spots away from these veterans. Derick Brassard is the name that comes to mind. Yes, Brassard is inconsistent. But, Brassard has scored some clutch goals as of late. Don’t forget his amazing pass to Andy Greene, leading to a goal in game 7.

Trading for Andy Greene

Yes, Andy Greene has taken some costly penalties and turned the puck over a lot as of late. But, he was the perfect replacement for Adam Pelech when he went down. Greene is top 5 in shot blocks, and he’s a veteran leader. His play alongside Dobson in the regular season is amazing for Dobson’s development. Greene has scored some big goals in the playoffs and has been a solid top 6 defenseman.

Conclusion

Lou Lamoriello should be the general manager of the year. He took the Islanders roster from one of the worst on paper to a respectable one. The Islanders are in a better position for the future with Lamoriello at the helm.

New York Islanders: Has Ilya Sorokin Improved Varlamov’s Game?

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Semyon Varlamov, New York Islanders

New York Islanders‘ goalie Semyon Varlamov has been nothing short of sensational during the playoffs. Varlamov is currently boasting a 1.71 GAA with a .932 save percentage. Not only that, but Varlamov also has only allowed five even-strength goals in 7 games. The powerplay goals are not his fault normally, but even counting those goals, Varlamov has only allowed 12 goals in 7 games.

The Capitals have astounding goal scorers like Alex Ovechkin, T.J. Oshie, and Jacob Vrana. The Panthers have studs like Alexander Barkov, Mike Hoffman, and Jonathan Huberdeau. Varlamov has been shutting down top goal scorers this entire playoff run. This play has differentiated from the normal Varlamov Islander fans all know. Varlamov had a 2.62 GAA, and a .914 save percentage during this season. There could be a reason why his play has drastically changed, and his name is Ilya Sorokin.

Ilya Sorokin

The Islanders signed Ilya Sorokin on July 13th, 2020. Sorokin is the best goalie outside of the NHL; his stats only back that up. For the last six years, Sorokin has had a GAA under 2.00, and 5/6 years he’s had a save percentage over .930. Most recently, Sorokin boasted a .73 GAA with a .966 save percentage during the KHL playoffs. Even though the KHL playoffs ended after the first round, it’s undeniable how dominant Sorokin was. Sorokin is now bringing his talents to the Island and putting Varlamov in competition.

Competition

Varlamov being the competitor he always has been, will not go down without a fight. “Varly” has fought against good goalies all his life. Braden Holtby, Michael Neuvirth, Philipp Grubauer, and Thomas Greiss. This competition is nothing new for the longtime NHL goalie. Varlamov, as previously stated, has been standing on his head this entire playoff run. If Varlamov continues this play into next season, it will be very hard to replace him as the starter. However, if Sorokin has been creating this pressure in practice, Sorokin could be the starter next year.

Conclusion

Seymon Varlamov is one of the best goalies in the playoffs right now. If everything is clicking in between the pipes and the forwards are scoring gritty goals, the Islanders are a hard team to beat.

Ilya Sorokin signing would complete trifecta for the Islanders this summer

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New York Islanders, Ilya Sorokin

The New York Islanders have had a better summer than they could have hoped for.

Both on and off the ice, the organization has received — and continued — to make strides towards the future. Those strides include a fully healthy squad ready to return for Phase 3 (full training camp) this coming Monday, getting back their most important player in d-man Adam Pelech, and seeing their future home at Belmont Park becoming more of a reality with each passing day.

But now they have a chance to complete their trifecta even in the midst of the crazy time we’re living in now with the coronavirus pandemic.

With the news yesterday of a extended CBA between the NHL and NHLPA — which allows teams to officially sign their European imports and unsigned  draft choices to contracts for the 2019-20 season — the Isles are now able to sign Ilya Sorokin.

Sorokin, the 25-year-old Russian goalie phenom, has been the talk of Islanders country for years. Drafted in 2014, Sorokin has been playing in his native Russia the last five years, becoming a legend for KHL powerhouse, CSKA Moscow. He has long been regarded as the best goalie in the world not playing in the NHL.

Fans had heard and read about how dominant he had become with the hope he would finally decide to make the transition to the States one day. Sorokin made one appearance on Long Island for an Isles rookie camp four years ago and dazzled. After that, he all but disappeared. But his name continued to be in the back of Islander fans’ minds for a long time. 

There was hope back in 2018 Sorokin might finally come over following his contract ending with CSKA; that was dashed when he signed a one-year extension. Despite that, it seemed Sorokin was signaling he wasn’t totally set on staying in his homeland long-term. Things began to change once Lou Lamoriello took over running the Islanders. There’s been rumors regarding Sorokin not being in total love with the former regime headed by Garth Snow, the g.m. who drafted him.

This year Lamoriello was given all indication on several occasions that Sorokin would indeed make his way to Long Island. Lamoriello even doubled-down on the notion in a Q&A with season ticket holders in March. Everything seemed it was full speed ahead when, on April 12th, it was reported that Sorokin would indeed sign with the Isles once his contract expired on April 30th. Then came the virus, which threw a monkey wrench into the team’s and Sorokin’s plans.

The NHL, because of the changing landscape and question marks regarding finishing the season, made the decision not to allow organizations to sign their picks or European prospects and allow them to play if the season did resume. This implemented rule sent Sorokin, his agent Dan Milstein — whom he switched to in early June — and the Isles into a holding pattern. That was up until yesterday’s development.

Once the CBA is ratified by the players, the organization will have a 53-hour window to strike a deal with Sorokin. And according to The Athletic’s Arthur Staple, the Isles appear extremely ready to get a deal done. 

Now it’s on the Islanders and Sorokin to get pen to paper and make this summer one of their most important in recent memory.

Very little needs to be added about what a deal with Sorokin would mean. His name signed on the dotted line, means the Isles’ long, arduous search for their next great franchise goalie would finally be over. 

And even if he doesn’t get the opportunity to play — the NHL made it clear no new players signed will be able to join their club for the modified playoffs when they begins early next month — Sorokin would get the opportunity to get acclimated to Long Island and be around the team, which will make the transition from overseas that much more easier. Plus, having him get right to work with goalie guru Mitch Korn will allow him the benefit of figuring out what he needs to work or change in his game for the upcoming season. The last point deals with the possibility of Sorokin not playing a game in over ten months, if the NHL does begin the 2020-21 season in December or January.

The amount of twist and turns that have come with the Sorokin saga could have been made into a full-length feature flick by now. All that’s left is getting a deal done with him and the movie will finally have its long, awaited ending.

Once it happens, the Isles will have completed their trifecta for their summer and can turn their attention to an even bigger prize — a Stanley Cup.