Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Ilya Sorokin

Kaprizov, Others Will Not Be Eligible For 2020 Playoffs

at CDT | by 1 Comment

As the NHL and NHLPA move towards the ratification of an extension of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, fans of several playoff teams are still wondering whether or not they’ll be able to include some overseas reinforcements. Players like Minnesota Wild draft pick Kirill Kaprizov have been waiting to see if the league would change their stance on eligibility this summer, allowing them to sign an entry-level contract and burn the first year of it while suiting up for the 24-team tournament. Previously, the league was firm that they would not allow new contracts to be signed, but several reports have simultaneously emerged suggesting that has changed–at least in part.

Still, Kaprisov won’t be hitting the ice for Minnesota in their qualification round against the Vancouver Canucks. Michael Russo of The Athletic, Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports, and Andrew Gross of Newsday all report that once the CBA extension has been ratified, players will be allowed to sign their entry-level contracts this summer to burn the first year, but will not be eligible to play. Russo predicted this very outcome just last week, and outlined the challenges this presents teams who want to get these talented draft picks under contract.

Kaprizov, widely considered the best hockey player not currently in the NHL, is joined by top prospects like Ilya Sorokin and Alexander Romanov in this situation. Signing a deal now would guarantee that they are able to play for their respective team next season, but would also get them a year closer to restricted free agency.

As Russo points out with regards to Kaprisov in particular, burning a year of entry-level without anything to show for it comes with both pros and cons. The 23-year old Russian is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2023-24 season regardless of whether he signs for 2019-20 or starts his two-year entry-level deal in 2020-21, meaning the Wild will likely have to try and sign him to a long-term extension after this first deal expires. The young forward could also decide to return to the KHL for another season instead, given that the 2020-21 NHL campaign is not expected to begin until the middle of winter, while the Russian league is still aiming for a September start.

Ilya Sorokin Not Negotiating With CSKA Moscow

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

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.

Snapshots: Carter, Sorokin, Hoefenmayer

at CDT | by 2 Comments

The Los Angeles Kings won’t be taking part in the 24-team playoffs this summer, so it’s time to get healthy and prepare for 2020-21. With that in mind, the team announced that Jeff Carter underwent surgery on June 4 to repair a core muscle injury. Carter is expected to be fully recovered for the next season.

Carter could very well be 36 when the next season starts and the front-loaded nature of his contract means he won’t be making very much (relatively speaking) when he does get back on the ice. With two years left on his deal but only $4MM in salary, he would be a potential option to trade out of Los Angeles in order to free up some playing time for some of their young talent. Carter does not have a no-trade clause in his deal, though there have been rumors in the past that he may decide to simply retire if sent to a destination he did not approve of.

  • Reports surfaced recently that New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin had restarted preliminary talks with his KHL team on a potential new contract, though absolutely nothing was decided at that point. Today, Darren Dreger of TSN reports that Sorokin has changed his North American representation, hiring Dan Milstein of Gold Star Hockey as his new agent. Interestingly enough, Kirill Kaprizov, another high-profile KHL prospect (and teammate of Sorokin with CSKA Moscow) hoping to come to North America, recently parted ways with Milstein.
  • Noel Hoefenmayer has added another trophy to his cabinet after being named the CHL Defenseman of the Year today. The Arizona Coyotes draft pick led all OHL defensemen in scoring with 82 points in 56 games for the Ottawa 67’s. Unfortunately, Hoefenmayer never signed with the Coyotes and instead had to settle for an AHL contract with the Toronto Marlies a few months ago.

Snapshots: Sorokin, Phase 3, Future Schedule

at CDT | by 3 Comments

The New York Islanders have been waiting years for goaltending prospect Ilya Sorokin to come to North America, since drafting him in 2014. The KHL star seemed poised to finally cross the pond before the coronavirus put things on hold, and now may be reconsidering his options.

As KHL reporter Gillian Kemmerer translates, the president of CSKA Moscow tweeted today that Sorokin is in “early talks” with the club to return to the KHL. This doesn’t mean Sorokin isn’t coming to the Islanders (take these kinds of statements with a grain of salt), but the NHL’s decision to not allow new contracts for the 2019-20 season, combined with the fact that next season may not start until January 2021 has certainly complicated things for top KHL players. As Kemmerer notes, CSKA admits that Kirill Kaprizov does intend to come to North America.

  • Even though the NHL has released the format for a return to play, there is still a lot of work to be done before teams actually take the ice. Eric Francis of Sportsnet tweets that the talk around hockey circles last night was that the Phase 3 target start date to open training camps will be pushed to August 1st. Commissioner Gary Bettman had explained previously that camps would open no sooner than July 10th, but that may turn out to be quite an optimistic threshold.
  • James Mirtle of The Athletic (subscription required) explains that hockey fans may want to get used to this kind of a summer schedule, as there are conversations happening about keeping an altered league calendar moving forward. There have been rumblings about shifting the season in the past to avoid some of the other top sports, including the NFL.

League Still Not Allowing New Contracts For 2019-20

at CDT | by 4 Comments

When Scott Perunovich agreed to terms on two different contracts with the St. Louis Blues back in March, it led to plenty of confusion around the league. The plan was to have Perunovich sign a contract for 2019-20 if the season returned, allowing him to step right into a spot on the Blues roster for the playoffs. Several other top college and international players agreed to similar structures, hoping to burn the first year of their entry-level contracts before the 2020-21 season began.

Unfortunately, as Michael Russo of The Athletic (subscription required) reported, that made the league furious given that they had put a hold on any contracts for 2019-20. Teams were still holding out hope that the league would change their minds and allow players to sign, but yesterday Gary Bettman and Bill Daly dealt another blow to those hopes.

Daly explained that the league’s position was still that new players are not allowed to sign a contract for 2019-20, even going so far as to call them “ringers.” That means players like Perunovich won’t be seeing action this summer and will have to file their contracts for the 2020-21 season instead.

CapFriendly has even tentatively added them to their database in those spots. Along with Perunovich, this includes Alexander Romanov (MTL), Ian Mitchell (CHI), Grigori Denisenko (FLA), John Leonard (SJS), and Brinson Pasichnuk (SJS) though there are countless others like New York Islanders prospect Ilya Sorokin that have been waiting on word from the league as well.

The question now is how that affects their decisions moving forward, especially for the Russian players. The 2020-21 season is not expected to start on time, with the commissioner even suggesting yesterday that it could kick off with the Winter Classic in early January 2021. That would mean a very long wait for players ineligible to join the playoff festivities this summer, and could lead to some returning to the KHL should it open sooner.

Ilya Sorokin Declines KHL Extension Offer

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Islanders have been waiting for Ilya Sorokin to come to North America for several years now.  It appears as if the wait may soon be over.  Sport-Express’ Igor Eronko reports (Twitter link) that Sorokin has turned down an extension offer from CSKA Moscow of the KHL, paving the way for him to sign with New York at the expiration of his current deal at the end of the month.

Sorokin was a third-round pick (78th overall) back in 2014 and has quickly outperformed that slot as he has become of the top goaltenders outside of North America.  This season, he posted a .935 SV% with a GAA of 1.50 and if you think those are impressive, they’re actually both worse than 2018-19 (.940 SV% and 1.16 GAA).  He was off to a stellar start in the playoffs as well with a .966 SV% and a 0.73 GAA before the postseason was eventually called.  While the KHL is a lower-scoring league, those are still appealing results and it’s no surprise that CSKA tried to get Sorokin to sign an extension.

Instead, it appears that the 24-year-old now has his sights set on the NHL where he should make his mark right away with the Islanders.  Assuming a deal gets done, it’s safe to pencil him in alongside Semyon Varlamov as New York’s tandem for next season.  That makes it seem unlikely on the surface that Thomas Greiss, a pending unrestricted free agent, will be back in the fold.

On the surface, it might seem like Sorokin would be leaving some money on the table in the short term as he’ll be restricted to a one-year, entry-level deal.  However, this stoppage could potentially present an opportunity for Sorokin to burn that year quickly.  As he was on the Islanders’ reserve list at the trade deadline, he’d be eligible to play if play resumes.  Accordingly, they could burn that year right away and get him out of the entry-level system quickly which is what Columbus did with Elvis Merzlikins just last season.

Accordingly, it may take a bit of time yet for an NHL deal to be announced as Sorokin’s side would undoubtedly want to wait to see what happens with the rest of this season and playoffs before putting pen to paper on a contract.  However, it appears that the wait to bring him to North America is about to come to an end.

Islanders Notes: Sorokin, Barzal, Injuries, Belmont Arena

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

While there has been positive more than a month ago, many New York Islanders fans have been excited about the team potentially signing top goalie prospect Ilya Sorokin out of the KHL this offseason. However, with the worldwide issues of COVID-19 and little information since, NHL.com released an interview with general manager Lou Lamoriello in which the GM reiterates that the team expects Sorokin to sign a contract for next season.

The 24-year-old goaltender has dominated the KHL the last few years and is considered the best goaltender outside the NHL. He finished the 2019-20 season with a 1.50 GAA and a .935 save percentage in 40 appearances for CSKA Moscow. In the currently suspended playoffs, Sorokin has won all four of his matchups, allowing just three goals so far, with a 0.73 GAA and a .966 save percentage. Sorokin’s contract expires on April 30th, although with the coronavirus suspending play, that date could be pushed back if the KHL intends to continue their playoffs at some point.

  • Another issue that Lamoriello settled is the future contract of young star Mathew Barzal. The 22-year-old will be hitting restricted free agency this summer and the Islanders have made it clear that they intend to lock him up to a long-term deal, there are plenty of concerns that teams may attempt to raid the Islanders’ team by attempting to sign the young centerman to an offer sheet. However, Lamoriello made it clear in that interview, that the team intends to lock him up before free agency arrives and will match any offer sheet. “It is our intention to not allow it to get to that point, but should that happen, the answer is yes,” said Lamoriello. While Barzal’s numbers haven’t been close to what it was in his rookie campaign when he tallied 82 points due to head coach Barry Trotz’s defensive-first system, Barzal was looking to take a step forward this year, already having 19 goals and 60 points in 68 games.
  • The GM also noted that defenseman Johnny Boychuk and fourth-liner Casey Cizikas are both expected to be ready whenever the season resumes. Both were tough losses that affected the teams’ most recent run. Boychuk went down on Mar. 3 when he took a skate to the eye and had 90 stitches. Cizikas has been out since Feb. 11 with a leg injury. Lamoriello also added that defenseman Adam Pelech is expected to be ready for training camp. The defenseman was signaled as lost for the season after sustaining an Achilles injury on Jan. 3.
  • Lamoriello also adds that the Belmont Park Arena, the Islanders’ future home, is still on target to be completed for the 2021-22 season. The team is currently playing in two different stadiums, including the Barclays Center and Nassau Coliseum. The team broke ground back in September of 2019.

Snapshots: Sorokin, Bruins, Fines

at CDT | by 6 Comments

Some confusion erupted today when reports surfaced that New York Islanders draft pick Ilya Sorokin’s rights had been traded to the Chicago Blackhawks, but things were quickly cleared up. Igor Eronko of Sport-Express once again reported that Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello has met with Sorokin’s agent at gives it a “99% chance” that the young goaltender comes to the NHL next season.

Sorokin is considered by many to be the best goaltender outside of the NHL, after completely dominating the KHL since he was a teenager. Following his 28-6-4, .940 sv% season with CSKA Moscow in 2018-19, he has a 25-9-3 record this year with a .936. His deal in Russia expires at the end of April, so Islanders fans will have to wait a little longer to find out if he’s really planning on coming over.

  • With the big move today to acquire Ondrej Kase from the Anaheim Ducks, the Boston Bruins may be considered out of the running for some other names. Not so fast, according to several reporters around the league. Eric Engels of Sportsnet tweets that the Bruins are still in the running for Ilya Kovalchuk, while Joe McDonald of The Athletic (subscription required) suggests that when Boston GM Don Sweeney said he’s “in it to win it” today he could mean players like Brandon Saad or Joe Thornton are still a possibility. At any rate, the Bruins certainly aren’t a team to forget about now that they’ve moved David Backes’ contract off the books (well, at least 75% of it).
  • A pair of fines were handed out today from the Department of Player Safety, who are still working despite the deadline taking up most of the news cycle. Matt Niskanen was given a $5,000 fine for his vicious slash across the hands of Gustav Nyquist, while Scott Sabourin gets a $1,881.72 fine for unsportsmanlike. Sabourin squirted water from the Ottawa Senators bench. These fines are the maximum allowable and based on player salary.

Snapshots: Kovalchuk, Sorokin, Backes

at CDT | by 21 Comments

How the tables have turned already for Ilya Kovalchuk. The veteran forward was unemployed entering the new year after having his contract terminated by the Los Angeles Kings. Despite his decorated history in pro hockey, he was left scouting the market for a minimum contract with a team that maybe had a chance at the postseason in 2019-20. He landed in Montreal, signing a one-year, pro-rated $700K contract with a team heading in the wrong direction for playoff contention because that was his best option at the time. Just two weeks later, Kovalchuk’s stock has skyrocketed. The 36-year-old has eight points in eight games with the Canadiens and has looked phenomenal, especially compared to his play in L.A. When he first started scoring, many Habs fans were excited at the prospect of the team flipping him for assets at the trade deadline.

While this remains a distinct possibility, as Kovalchuk continues to produce many other are asking whether Montreal should instead look to re-sign the winger. Not only has Kovalchuk been an impressive offensive contributor, but he provides the veteran presence and star power that the team is lacking in its forward corps, which plays a part in why Kovalchuk has been such a hit with fans so early in his tenure. Yet, Kovalchuk has been so successful in such a short time with the Canadiens, that his camp is already thinking about cashing in, mere weeks after settling for the smallest NHL contract possible. When asked about the prospect of Kovalchuk re-signing in Montreal, agent Pat Brisson told TVA Sports that it is too early to talk extension. While he admits that Kovalchuk is enjoying his time with the team, Brisson states that the focus is only on making the playoffs, which – when spoken by an agent – is a strong indication that Kovlachuk will be looking to test the market or at least continue to drive up his price before talking contract with Montreal.  A trade would also change the status quo and could afford Kovalchuk the opportunity to improve his stock even more with a postseason appearance, which seems unlikely in Montreal this season. While the veteran star is not going to land a long-term contract this season, his sudden resurgence all but guarantees that he will be back in the NHL next season and making significantly more than his current $700K cap hit.

  • Ilya Sorokin is a name that has long been tied to the NHL, despite the player never having set foot on pro ice in North America. The New York Islanders prospect has long been one of the best goalies in the KHL, even at just 24 years old, yet he has been reluctant to sign with the team and commit to coming overseas. Reports earlier this season were that Sorokin wanted a clear shot to a guaranteed NHL job and has not been happy with the situation in New York, first with Thomas Greiss and Robin Lehner last year, now Greiss and Semyon Varlamov this year, and at least Varlamov signed for several more years. Those reports indicated that Sorokin intended to stay in Russia unless traded by the Islanders. Some subsequent rumors believed that the team was considering moving Sorokin’s rights as a result. However, when KHL insider Igor Eronko approached Sorokin about the topic, a different sentiment came from the horse’s mouth. Sorokin expressed that he was surprised to read the stories about his trade demands and that the team was looking into moving him. He stated that he and the Islanders have a different understanding and he has not been told that the status quo has changed. Don’t be surprised if the Russian star remains Islanders’ property through the trade deadline after all.
  • The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa writes that David Backes has five choices after being waived and demoted by the Boston Bruins. One option that might come as a surprise, not as a suggestion but as a concrete theory, is that Backes could retire rather than accept his assignment. Shinzawa reports that Backes seriously considered retirement after his concussion earlier this season, but was assured by a concussion expert that it was safe for him to return to action. Yet, after Backes failed to return to an NHL-caliber level of play, could he decide to play it safe and call it quits? He would forego the remaining salary on his contract, but would protect himself from the risk of long-term harm with another injury, one that would especially be a shame while merely competing at the AHL level. Shinzawa suggests that Backes could instead decline his assignment and see his contract terminated, which would make him a free agent where he could at least try to find a worthwhile job elsewhere in the NHL. The other option is that he simply accepts his assignment to AHL Providence, which could also lead to a trade request down the road or further consideration of retirement or contract termination before the end of next season.

Overseas Notes: Sorokin, Samonov, Bobkov, Austria

at CDT | by 1 Comment

For many New York Islanders fans, Russian goalie prospect Ilya Sorokin has long been considered the team’s stud goalie of the future. However, a new report from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman casts doubt on that premise. Friedman hears from sources in Russia that Sorokin continues to negotiate an extension in the KHL, where he currently stars for perennial contender CSKA Moscow. At 24 years old already, another contract in Russia would be a tough pill to swallow for the Islanders, who would potentially be waiting until Sorokin was well past “prospect” age. Of course, Friedman believes that talks with Moscow could in fact be a ploy to force a trade from the Islanders. He believes that Sorokin wants a clear path to guaranteed appearances in the NHL and may not see that opportunity in New York. This would be an ironic development, seeing as many pointed to the long-term signing of Semyon Varlamov this summer as a way of convincing fellow Russian keeper Sorokin to sign with the Isles, not the other way around. Not enough is known about this situation just yet to definitively say that Sorokin would like a trade from the Islanders and would rather play in Russia than New York, but perhaps fans need to begin to temper their expectations that the young KHL star is cemented as their heir apparent in net.

  • Two Russian goalies who definitely won’t be making the jump to the NHL any time soon are Alexander Samonov and Igor Bobkov. Samonov, 24, is enjoying a breakout year with SKA St. Petersburg and has decided to sign long-term with the team, inking a three-year extension. SKA dealt Carolina Hurricanes prospect Pyotr Kotchetkov to Vityaz Podolsk earlier this season to acquire the red-hot Samonov, and so far the investment has paid off. Samonov has led SKA in appearances since the trade and his .934 save percentage and 1.83 GAA are among the best numbers in the KHL, even though he was even better to begin the year with Vityaz. If he was to continue this level of play, Samonov would undoubtedly draw NHL interest, but with a new deal that would not allow him to debut in North America until he was 28, the odds are that Samonov may never play in the NHL at all. Bobkov meanwhile had his cup of coffee in North America, but could never push beyond the AHL level while playing in the Anaheim Ducks system. Since returning to Russia, Bobkov has asserted himself as one of the best goalies in the league and is having the best season of his career thus far, with a .926 save percentage and 1.85 GAA in a whopping 31 appearances already for Avangard Omsk. The team has rewarded their workhorse with a two-year extension, carrying him into his thirties. As such, Bobkov is unlikely to play in the NHL again.
  • The 2020 World Junior Championship has not yet even begun, but one team is already looking ahead to 2021. Austria was the surprise winner at the Division 1-A WJC in Minsk, Belarus. The tournament, which offers the champion the opportunity to move up to the top level of the WJC, ended on Sunday with an unassuming Austrian squad at the top. A dominant Team Latvia, as well as strong entries from Norway and Belarus, were unable to get it done. Austria, which accounts for just three NHL players and hasn’t had a player drafted in a number of year, will instead make their return to the main tournament next year.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top