Vezina Trophy finalist Ilya Sorokin could cause some cap problems for the New York Islanders because of a new contract and salary in the near future. Sorokin's .924 save percentage in goal ranked third in the NHL, which helped him lock in the award nod. More than that, he also netted a 2.34 goals-against average to rank fifth in the whole league. His +38.7 goals saved were only behind Juuse Saros of the Nashville Predators and Linus Ullmark of the Boston Bruins.
Ilya Sorokin stated through Kevin Kurz of The Athletic that “I’m always open (to an extension), but I have one more year,” he said. “I never think about contracts. … Yes, (the Islanders are) very, very great for me. I love this place, the people around me.”
His statement shows great promise and willingness to stay in New York and play for the Islanders.
The Cap Space Problem
While Ilya Sorokin had a great season and is a contender for the Vezina Trophy, the issue is that he is bound for a contract extension to come in the next season. As of the moment, Sorokin has a $4 million AAV contract, which is very team friendly to New York. However, a goaltender of his caliber will surely want more in order to be rewarded for his efforts.
The Islanders recently gave Matthew Barzal an eight-year, $73.2 million contract and Bo Horvat eight years, $68 million. The projected salary for Sorokin puts him in that range as well given his monster season, causing a cap crunch that could mean the departure of other key pieces.
Sorokin seems to want to stay with the Islanders, but the situation isn't as simple as it seems after they lost in the first round of the playoffs.
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