The New York Islanders have announced that they’ve signed goaltender Ilya Sorokin to an eight-year contract extension worth $8.25 million annually. Pierre Engvall would receive a seven-year contract worth $3 million annually. Scott Mayfield would also receive a seven-year contract worth $3.5 million annually. Semyon Varlamov would receive a four-year contract worth an unknown annual amount.
Sorokin was in the last year of his three-year deal worth $4 million annually. Sorokin was set to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2023-24 season, the Islanders made sure to lock up their Vezina calibre goaltender.
In Ilya Sorokin’s NHL career, he’s played 136 games split across three seasons, in Sorokin’s 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, he played a combined 114 games and posted nothing less than a 0.918 save percentage and nothing higher than 2.40 goals against average. Sorokin has also been in Vezina voting twice in three seasons, making his contract money well spent.
After trading a third-round pick for Pierre Engvall, the New York Islanders looked like a team ready to make a solid run with added depth insurance. Engvall was set to be an unrestricted free agent but received a lucrative contract to stay in Long Island. In 18 games with the Islanders, Engvall scored five goals and four assists for nine points. The Islanders have locked up a depth piece for good.
Scott Mayfield went into a contract season with the uncertainty if he was going to be traded or not. After knowing he wasn’t going to be traded, Mayfield, 30, posted a career-high in goals (6), assists (18), and points (24) in the 2022-23 season. The Islanders will look to solidify themselves defensively, and Mayfield is a key asset for the team. In 428 games for the Islanders, Mayfield has posted 25 goals and 86 assists for 11 points total. Mayfield also has 395 penalty minutes due to the Islanders’ rougher natural playstyle, Mayfield recorded a career-high in penalty minutes in the 2022-23 season with 83 penalty minutes.
Semyon Varlamov will play another season, or four, for the Islanders. The 35-year-old has signed a four-year deal with the team after being a solid backup for Sorokin. Varlamov played 23 games during the 2022-23 season with the Islanders, where he posted a 2.70 goals-against average and a 0.913 save percentage.
