Ilya Sorokin

Ilya Sorokin: The Next Face of the New York Islanders

Early Life and Career

Ilya Sorokin was born on August 4, 1995, in Mezhdurechensk, Russia. He began playing hockey at a young age and quickly rose through the ranks of Russian junior hockey. In 2012, he made his debut for CSKA Moscow in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), Russia's top professional hockey league. Sorokin quickly established himself as one of the KHL's top goaltenders, winning the Gagarin Cup, the KHL's championship trophy, in 2019.

NHL Career

In 2020, Sorokin signed a one-year contract with the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League (NHL). He made his NHL debut in the 2020-21 season and quickly became the Islanders' starting goaltender. Sorokin has continued to impress in the NHL, posting a save percentage of .925 and a goals-against average of 2.17 in 59 games played. He was also named to the NHL All-Star Game in 2022.

Playing Style

Sorokin is a technically sound goaltender with excellent reflexes and positioning. He is also very athletic and has a quick glove hand. Sorokin's style of play is based on stopping the puck with his glove or blocker rather than sprawling out to make saves. This allows him to stay in position and make quick saves on shots from all angles.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Sorokin's strengths include his athleticism, reflexes, and positioning. He is also very calm under pressure and can make big saves in critical situations. However, Sorokin can sometimes be beaten on shots from long range, and he can be susceptible to giving up rebounds.

Future Outlook

Sorokin is still young and has a lot of potential to improve. He is already one of the best goaltenders in the NHL, and he has the potential to be even better. With the New York Islanders, Sorokin has a chance to win a Stanley Cup and establish himself as one of the best goaltenders in NHL history.