Ilya Sorokin Can Keep Ascending NHL Player Tiers With Better NY Islanders Defense

Ilya Sorokin can benefit greatly from improved New York Islanders defense.

Nov 3, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin (30) stretches during the third period against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images / USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

The New York Islanders have a luxury that not many teams in the NHL possess: goalie Ilya Sorokin.

One of the best in the business, Sorokin has been a consistent star-level producer for the Islanders over the last few years. With a second-place finish in the Vezina Trophy voting for the 2025-26 season, it comes as no surprise that he is on the rise in the NHL Player Tiers over at The Athletic (subscription required).

After dropping to the 3B tier ahead of the 2025-26 campaign, Sorokin rose back to the Franchise Tier as a 2C player. There are only two goalies ahead of him on the list: Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets and Igor Shesterkin of the New York Rangers.

It is a deserved landing spot, with Sorokin putting together an excellent 2025-26 season. And there is another level for him to take his production if the supporting cast around him, such as the defense and backup goaltending, can step up.

Former player thinks Ilya Sorokin was let down by defense

Apr 12, 2026; Elmont, New York, USA; New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin (30) during the first period against the Montréal Canadiens at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Alexander Wohl-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“When he doesn't have a guy to trade off starts off with, eventually, by the end of the year, he's getting beat by shots that below-average goaltenders will get beat by. It's not his fault. If his workload is right, I think he wins the Vezina last year,” the former player said to The Athletic. “I don't think any goalie's seen more porous defending in front of them for four years now.”

Despite the extended period of underwhelming blueline performance, Sorokin has continued to produce in net. Last season, he produced an eye-popping 28.8 GSAx through the Olympic break, which led the NHL.

Unfortunately, after that, his performance fell off, which took the Islanders out of the playoff race in the Eastern Conference. Sorokin admitted that he was worn down from the workload, which is why getting good production from backup Semyon Varlamov will be so important.

With Peter DeBoer taking over as head coach, there is optimism that the scheme will be tightened up, especially on defense. That would benefit Sorokin greatly, who is capable of putting the team on his back, leading the NHL with seven shutouts in 2025-26. But even the best can use help from their teammates from time to time.

If New York improves their defensive performance and Varlamov proves capable of spelling Sorokin, another stellar campaign is on deck. He is projected to have a strong season with a .908 save percentage and +14 Net Rating, as shared by The Athletic.