Ilya Sorokin Signs with NY Islanders

After six years and numerous attempts to lure him to North America, the New York Islanders have signed goaltender Ilya Sorokin to an entry-level deal for the remainder of the 2019-20 season. The deal was announced by Sorokin’s agent, Dan Milstein, on Twitter Monday evening. This ends his long and successful stint in the KHL.

The Islanders’ top goalies prospect will be allowed to participate in training camp but not playoff games this season.

Sorokin was a third-round pick in 2014 but has yet to play in North America. With the NHL and NHL Players Association agreeing to a new collective bargaining agreement, players like Sorokin and Minnesota Wild prospect Kirill Kaprizov were allowed to sign a contract for this season to burn a year on their entry-level deals. The contract is for one year and $925,000, and the Russian goaltender will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season.

Ilya Sorokin looks to be the future in the crease for the Islanders, should he pan out. The 24-year-old went 26-10-3 with a 1.50 goals-against average and .935 save percentage in the KHL this season.

Thomas Greiss’ contract expires this season while Sorokin’s countryman, Semyon Varlamov, still has three more years left on his deal.