Noah Pedrazzoli examines the Islanders’ struggles behind the goal crease and what the summer can mean for their goaltending!
The New York Islanders are a team that prides itself on its goaltending. While many teams across the league have struggled to produce a reliable goaltending tandem, the Islanders are consistently praised for having a 1A-1B dynamic duo in Ilya Sorokin and Semyon Varlamov. But recently, Sorokin has come under fire for his seemingly inconsistent production between the pipes. Is it because of his recent injury? Is it because the team overworked him through their playoff push? It’s time to take a look at what this means for a consistent strength potentially becoming a potential problem for the future.
Ilya Sorokin
The star netminder had a rocky season, but still sported a 2.71 goals against average and .907 save percentage. While Sorokin has allowed what can be considered “soft goals,” the Islanders haven’t exactly done him any favors. The team in front of him has made his role very difficult due to a string of injuries and inconsistent play in the defensive zone.
FIRST NHL GOAL ALERT! 🚨
— NHL (@NHL) March 1, 2025
Ilya Sorokin makes the save, and the puck finds its way into the net at the other end! pic.twitter.com/pIB9alW8pT
Ilya Sorokin records his first NHL goal against the Nashville Predators
While injuries are always to be expected, the Islanders defense has become a recurring source of calamity. All six members of this season’s opening night D-group went down with extended injuries at various points in the season. Lou Lamoriello did his best to patch things up as the body count rose, but KHL cast-offs, waiver wire pickups, and another team’s healthy scratches can only do so much.
With names like Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock seemingly guaranteed to hit the injured list at this point in their careers, the Islanders need to put a focus on reliability in their defense corps.
It’s also becoming clear that Ilya Sorokin is not the type of goalie that can be relied upon for a heavy workload beyond 60 or so starts. The more starts he accumulates down the stretch, the more he seems to struggle. The Islanders need to provide Sorokin with not only personnel that can protect the crease and clear the zone, but also a worthy co-pilot that can reliably man the pipes when he needs rest. While it’s ultimately Sorokin’s job to keep the puck out of the net, it’s time to find Sorokin the proper support.
“The Islanders need to provide Sorokin with not only personnel that can keep the puck out of the zone, but also a worthy co-pilot that can reliably man the crease when he needs rest.”
Semyon Varlamov
The Islanders have had the privilege of having a Vezina-caliber goaltender lead their team in the 2020-2021 playoff run and then back up their future Vezina-caliber goaltender in Ilya Sorokin. Varlamov has thrived in every situation the Islanders have thrust him into. He has carried the Islanders to the playoffs and in the postseason but is also capable of relieving Sorokin of the workload inflicted on him as a starter.
Varlamov was injured December 14th, 2024, when it was announced he was dealing with a lower-body injury and never returned. The netminder has dealt with a history of lower body injuries over time and it is clearly affecting his durability.
When healthy, Varlamov is a serviceable and capable goaltender; however, his injury history is affecting his durability. This season, Varlamov only lasted for 10 starts posting a 3-4-3 record with a .889 save percentage and 2.89 GAA.
Those numbers will not be enough for whomever shares the nets with Sorokin going forward, which could suggest the Islanders could turn their attention to either proceed with training third-stringer Marcus Hogberg or set their sights on a backup in free agency.
Varlamov was recently quoted on break up day saying he’ll be ready for training camp, but can his injury history, especially at his age of 36, be trusted?
Semyon Varlamov denies Kevin Labanc with this toe save! 👀 pic.twitter.com/Cog12rvM8J
— NHL (@NHL) October 30, 2024
Varlamov saves an open-net with his toe against the Columbus Blue Jackets
Marcus Hogberg
The third-string goaltender put up a decent fight between the pipes. When Varlamov was placed on LTIR, Hogberg performed admirably when called upon posting a .947 SV% between 5 starts and relief duty before going down with an injury of his own on January 25th.
Upon returning in March though, Hogberg struggled with an .821 SV% through the end of the season. He was run up for 8 goals in an embarrassing home loss to the New York Rangers and 6 in the season closer vs Columbus. The team’s performance playing out the string in front of him certainly played a role, but warts in Hogberg’s game were revealed as he closed the season with a .890 SV% and 3.39 GAA.
Hogberg was signed to a league minimum contract over the summer to serve as the team’s last resort. After starting his career with the Ottawa Senators and spending a stint with Linköping HC in the Swedish Hockey League, Hogberg found his way back to the NHL and has potentially found a role within the Islanders’ organization.
They’ll have to determine which version of Hogberg they’ll get going forward and if he belongs in their long-term plans.
Marcus Hogberg makes a huge save on Bryan Rust! 😱 pic.twitter.com/qyuPFiJNlu
— NHL (@NHL) December 30, 2024
Hogberg makes a diving save against Pittsburgh’s Bryan Rust
The Future
The 2025 off-season projects to be a turning point for the Islanders. And the Islanders should not neglect the chance to make some tough, but necessary alterations for their goalie crease.
Varlamov has been a staple on the Islanders’ goalie tandem and a key part of this team’s success. However, his recent injuries have raised some questions about his durability and it might be time to start considering a future backup. The options can be sticking with Marcus Hogberg, developing future prospects in Marcus Gildof and Dmitri Gamzin, or acquiring the services of a free agent netminder.
Free agency could be a prospective opportunity because there are three experienced goalies who can be seen as a potentially dependable backup to Ilya Sorokin. Dan Vladar, Alexander Georgiev, and Ilya Samsonov are three goalies that have spent time between the pipes and as notable starters. While their careers have experienced some setbacks, all three goalies could benefit from spending some time in a backup role to Sorokin in order to revitalize their play.
The Islanders face some difficult decisions, but if they’re going to maximize the remaining prime years of an elite talent in Ilya Sorokin, they’ll have to be the right ones.
With the 147th Pick, the #Isles select Marcus Gidlof! pic.twitter.com/bGwnD2iczG
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) June 29, 2024
Marcus Gildof was drafted in the 5th round of the 2024 NHL Draft
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