Islanders Move Star Goaltender to Injured Reserve

The New York Islanders are set to come out of the holiday break with a matchup against the rival New York Rangers. But the Islanders are going to be a little shorthanded in goal as Ilya Sorokin was placed on injured reserve and Marcus Hogberg had to be recalled on an emergency basis.

#Isles Transactions: Ilya Sorokin has been placed on IR (retroactive to 12/20/25). Marcus Hogberg has been recalled on emergency from Bridgeport.
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) December 27, 2025

Sorokin last played on December 19 right before the holiday break against the Vancouver Canucks where he took the loss 4-1 where he stopped 27 of 30 shots he faced. And now it remains to be seen how long he is going to be out for, but with it being retroactive to the 20th, it means he's already missed 7 days.

With Sorokin being out for the foreseeable future, backup goaltender David Rittich seems set to see most of the reps in goal for the time being. The Islanders and their fans should hope that Sorokin is not out for too long as he has been a mainstay in goal for them for years now.

Sorokin on the year is sporting a 2.55 goals-against-average and a .910 save percantage with a record of 12-10-2 in 24 games played. Fans usually tune into Islanders vs Rangers as the matchup in goal is usually Sorokin against fellow russian Igor Shesterkin, but fans will see Rittich vs Shesterkin this time around.

Once the Islanders get to the new year, they have a tough stretch of games coming

The Islanders are set to play the Columbus Blue Jackets on December 28, the Chicago Blackhawks on December 30, and the Utah Mammoth on January 1. But after that, they have the Toronto Maple Leafs, New Jersey Devils, Nashville Predators, and Minnesota Wild on the schedule.

The Islanders likely are hoping that they can get their star goaltender back before they get to their game against Toronto. Having Sorokin back when they get to the games against last year's playoff teams or teams that are on a hot streak, would really be a boost for them.

Having to rely on Rittich and Hogberg for those games if Sorokin is not back yet, would not be good for the Islanders. Teams always want to have their star goaltenders available to them especially in stretches where they have to face tough teams.

Dec 23, 2025; Elmont, New York, USA; New York Islanders goaltender David Rittich (33) makes a save against the New Jersey Devils during the third period at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images | Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images

Sorokin generally has been healthy the past few years playing 61. 56, 62, and 52 regular season games the last 4 years. He can generally be relied upon, but for now the Islanders are going to have to play their backups until the Russian superstar can get healthy and make it back.

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