Ilya Sorokin Projected for Another Big Season With NY Islanders

Ilya Sorokin is projected to win even more games for the New York Islanders this upcoming season.

Mar 3, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin (30) tends net against the New York Rangers during the first period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Islanders have some areas of weakness to address on their roster, but the goalie is not one of them.

They have one of the best in the business in the crease in Ilya Sorokin, who finished second in the Vezina Trophy voting for the 2025-26 campaign despite the team not making the playoffs for the second straight year.

He received some praise despite having the lowest save percentage of his career at .906. Sorokin more than made up for that by leading the NHL with seven shutouts, finishing tied for ninth with 29 wins and eighth with 1,386 saves.

Down the stretch, he struggled, admitting that the workload he was asked to provide wore him down. However, he is the true definition of a workhorse; he has started in net for the Islanders at least 50 times and won at least 25 games in five straight campaigns. But can he make it six during the 2026-27 season? Troy Perlowitz of NHL.com certainly believes that he will.

How many wins is Ilya Sorokin projected for?

Jan 26, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin (30) in action against the Philadelphia Flyers in the first period at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In a recent piece sharing some fantasy hockey insight, Perlowitz shared projections for players on the Islanders. Sorokin is the top-ranked player for fantasy on the team and is projected to play at an even higher level this upcoming season with 31 victories.

That would tie his single-season high for wins, which came in the 2022-23 season. Talented enough to help a team overachieve, it will be interesting to see what Sorokin can do with a full season under head coach Peter DeBoer.

His teams always improve when he takes over on the bench. He is a proven winner and is going to get the most out of this team that finished with 91 points last season. 31 victories could be on the low side of projections for Sorokin, who has already proven capable of carrying a team on his back, as he did last year for New York.

With an improved defensive structure, an area where the Islanders were weak under Patrick Roy, Sorokin’s production could be taken to another level. He has been one of the most consistent producers in net over the last five seasons and is now playing for an elite coach.

That has the makings of what could be another special season for Sorokin, especially if the team’s overall production improves in front of him. With a top-eight finish in the Vezina Trophy voting in all five of those seasons, a sixth consecutive finish that high is certainly within reach.