It has been an interesting last few months for Islanders goalie prospect Ilya Sorokin. The eventual cancellation of the KHL playoffs was going to pave the way to sign his entry-level contract this season. At 24, his contract would only be for one year so he’d be able to reach restricted free agency and a much bigger payday this offseason. However, the NHL’s insistence that no more current year contracts can be signed threw a wrinkle in those plans although the NHLPA is believed to be contesting that restriction.
As a result, knowing that the 2020-21 KHL season is slated to start in September while the beginning of the 2020-21 NHL campaign won’t be until December or even January, the idea of Sorokin returning to CSKA Moscow became more plausible. Earlier this month, CSKA’s team president indicated that the two sides were in early talks for a return, further adding fuel to the fire.
However, Sorokin’s Russian agent Shumi Babaev told Sport 24 in Russia that there have been no discussions with them about a contract for next season. Instead, all that has happened so far is an expression of interest on CSKA’s part to keep him around. It’s worth noting that the hiring of Dan Milstein earlier this week was only a change of Sorokin’s North American representation.
Sorokin had quite the year in the KHL, posting a 1.50 GAA and a .935 SV% in 45 games and those were technically a step back from his 2018-19 campaign. While the Islanders may not want him to make his NHL debut in the play-in round or the postseason, it’s safe to say he’s a big part of their future as soon as next season where veteran Thomas Greiss will likely not be retained to make room for Sorokin on their roster. They’ll certainly be pleased with this latest development while the waiting game will continue on whether or not he’s ruled as eligible to sign for this season or not. The end result there may ultimately determine where Sorokin winds up for 2020-21.