It’s been a year of change for the New York Islanders, replacing general manager Lou Lamoriello with Mathieu Darche and trading forward Brock Nelson to Colorado and defenseman Noah Dobson to Montréal. After missing the playoffs last year, they hope to bounce back as a postseason contender.

Ilya Sorokin will play a significant role in the Islanders’ playoff hopes. The 6’4″, 211-pound goaltender put up solid numbers for his struggling club last season, sporting a record of 30 wins, 24 losses, and six overtime losses, with a 2.71 goals-against average, a .907 save percentage, and four shutouts.

A finalist for the Vezina Trophy in 2022-23, Sorokin is listed by NHL.com as the sixth-best goaltender entering this season. The Islanders will always have a chance to win whenever he’s between the pipes, and a strong effort on his part this season could propel them back into the postseason.