Regardless of what one might think of the difference in the level of competition between the KHL and NHL, New York Islanders goaltending prospect Ilya Sorokin is putting up good numbers in the Russian league. Very good numbers. In 22 games this season with CSKA Moscow, Sorokin has a GAA of 1.57 and a save percetnage of .934. Excellent in both categories. In fact, looking back through his numbers on Hockeydb.com, he's been the poster boy for consistency for six seasons now, with his lowest save percentage for a season being .929 and his GAA consistently well under two goals per game.
At 24 years of age, it looks like Sorokin is ready to break into the NHL, and according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman in his latest 31 Thoughts article, Sorokin may be looking to get away from the Islanders to have a clearer path to being a starter with a team.
A couple of my Russian contacts reached out after last week's note about Islanders goaltending prospect Ilya Sorokin — who is considering an extension in the KHL. They think he's trying to force a trade from New York to someplace with a clearer path to start. There would be interest — he's very talented. We'll see where this goes.
Sorokin was not a high draft pick. He was selected in the third round, 73rd overall, by the Islanders in 2014. However, given the way he's been playing in the KHL there's bound to be teams that would be interested in giving him a shot in North America. The Isles currently have Thomas Griess becoming an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season and the team may try to extend him. Meanwhile, Semyon Varlamov is under contract until the end of 2022-23. The chances of Sorokin getting a shot as a starter with the Islanders is slim. This one is something to keep an eye on.
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