With a new contract, Ilya Sorokin can concentrate on being his best for Islanders
Ilya Sorokin signed an eight-year contract extension with the Islanders. Credit: Jim McIsaac
Ilya Sorokin agreed to an eight-year, $66 million extension that will start next season, was very happy in the moment as he briefly celebrated his new deal, then went back to work during the offseason. The main thing is the Islanders’ franchise goalie won’t have to worry about contract negotiations again until 2032.
“I don’t think about contracts, I just think about how I can be better,” Sorokin said on Saturday as he participated in Anders Lee’s Kancer Jam at Northwell Heath Ice Center in East Meadow to benefit The Jam Kancer In The Kan Foundation.
“When you have the last year of a contract, it’s a little bit nervous,” said Sorokin, who concludes a three-year, $12 million deal this season. “You try to not think about this but it’s hard. Now my mind is clean and I can think just about the game.”
Sorokin agreed to a contract extension on July 1, the same day defenseman Scott Mayfield (seven years, $24.5 million), left wing Pierre Engvall (seven years, $21 million) and goalie Semyon Varlamov (four years, $11 million) re-signed rather than leaving as unrestricted free agents.
Mayfield said knowing Sorokin was committing long term reinforced his desire to remain an Islander.
Sorokin, 28, went 31-22-7 with a 2.33 goals-against average and a .924 save percentage. He played a career-high 62 games in his third NHL season, finishing as the runner-up to the Bruins’ Linus Ullmark in Vezina Trophy voting as the league’s top goalie.
“For me, he was a big part of me coming back here, making sure that he wanted to be here,” Mayfield said. “I think it says a lot about him because if he goes to free agency, most guys have anywhere from five to 10 teams [interested]. I think he’d have every single team.”
Sorokin said having Varlamov, his fellow Russian, remain his goalie partner was important.
“Semyon’s a great guy and we’re good friends,” Sorokin said. “I’m happy for him. He deserves it.”
Engvall was acquired from the Maple Leafs on Feb. 28 and had five goals and four assists in 18 games with the Islanders. He added a goal and an assist in their six-game, first-round playoff loss to the Hurricanes.
Engvall’s and Mayfield’s seven-year deals were longer than industry expectations, but it did keep the contracts more manageable under the salary cap.
“I knew they had to sign some guys on the team, and I was one of them,” Engvall said. “I just didn’t know how they were going to be able to fit all the guys. We were able to do something good for everyone and I think everyone is really happy with how it worked out.”
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
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