We went through the Isles forwards yesterday and now it’s the defensemen and goalies’ turn. Of course, the information that came out on Monday — Isles coach Patrick Roy revealing Ilya Sorokin had offseason back surgery — changes at least the tone of how we talk about Sorokin’s season to come.
The redemption arc after Sorokin’s subpar 2023-24 now takes on a slightly different shape. If this back issue was hampering Sorokin last season that might explain his off year, although Lou Lamoriello said on Friday Sorokin suffered an injury while training this offseason. Given Lamoriello also said Sorokin has resumed skating and may only miss the first few days of training camp that begins with on-ice sessions Thursday, this surgery likely isn’t that recent.
Andrei Vasilevskiy had back surgery last September and played his first game for the Lightning on Nov. 24. Vasilevskiy didn’t have one of his better years coming off that surgery, which could have been completely different than whatever Sorokin had done, but no matter the procedure, it takes time to recover. We’ll see what that means for him, the other Islanders goaltenders and the team in the coming days and weeks.
So now let’s ask a question of each Isles defenseman and goalie — and see if we can narrow down to just one question for Sorokin.
Ilya Sorokin
What does all this mean?
Back surgery isn’t a minor thing, so it’s hard to know how Sorokin will progress from here. If Lamoriello’s estimate of Sorokin only missing the first 2-3 days of training camp is accurate, then the Islanders aren’t in bad shape. If it’s not accurate, then this is the exact wrong way to start off a season in which Sorokin needs to return to his 2022-23 form and the Islanders absolutely need their No. 1 goaltender, just starting on his eight-year contract, to be better so they have a chance to do anything at all. Right now it means nothing good for the Islanders. The rest we’ll have to wait and see.
Semyon Varlamov
How long can he carry the starter’s weight?
Varlamov was the main driver of the Isles’ playoff push last spring, taking over for Sorokin and going 8-1-1 over the final month of the season. He also gave up more than a few softies to the Hurricanes in a winnable series. At 36, if Varlamov is pressed into the No. 1 job indefinitely at the outset, can he hold up? What if Sorokin isn’t back in a timely fashion?
Keith Kinkaid/Marcus Högberg/Henrik Tikkanen/Jakub Skarek
Can any of these guys help?
Maybe for a game or two, at least as far as Högberg and possibly Kinkaid go. The two others are young prospects who haven’t shown enough in the AHL to earn a game yet, which is probably best for their development. If Sorokin is out for a while, it’s Varlamov’s show. No one new is riding in to save the day.
Noah Dobson
Is he a true No. 1 defenseman now?
After the first 70-point season for an Islanders defenseman not named Potvin, Dobson certainly has the numbers to justify being called a No. 1 defenseman. Same with his on-ice minutes, though the jump from 20:23 a game in 2022-23 to 24:31 a game last year seemed to take a toll as the season wound down. There’s also the matter of his contract numbers. This is a pending RFA year for the 24-year-old and he’ll more than double his current $4 million cap hit at the very least. The Islanders have never had an eight-figure-per-year defenseman. If Dobson starts the season strong, he could be the first.
Adam Pelech
Can the Isles count on him being fully healthy?
Pelech doesn’t have any chronic injuries but he’s missed large chunks of the last two seasons and three of the last five due to injury. Freak or no, these injuries do pile up and it’s been one blood clot (nearly a decade ago), one torn Achilles tendon, one concussion and one broken wrist — a too-long rundown of injuries for such an important player. His health and that of the two other senior members of the Isles defense is paramount for this team to have a productive season.
Ryan Pulock
Can he still provide the offense he once did?
There’s injury history with Pulock too — he’s missed 24 and 26 games in two of the last three seasons — but the bigger question here is whether the guy with one of the hardest shots in the league can still be a presence offensively. When he first became an Isles regular he was posting mid-30s point totals and throwing 350-plus shot attempts on net. He barely cracked 300 shot attempts in 2022-23, his last full season, and he has 17 goals in his last 252 NHL games after scoring 31 in his first 234 games. The Isles do have Dobson and Mike Reilly to run the power play units but having a second-pair threat in Pulock wouldn’t be bad.
Alexander Romanov
Is he ready for top-pair minutes?
He was pretty ready for most of last season and now at 24, Romanov is likely stepping into a more consistent top-pair role to stick with Dobson at five-on-five. Romanov added some solid offense too, second among D-men with seven goals, and his physical game is maturing as well. Like Dobson, this is a contract year for Romanov. If that pair handles its business, they’ll both get some serious dough beyond this season.
Scott Mayfield
What can he bring after a lost 2023-24?
When you consider the man-games lost among three of the Isles’ top five D-men last season it’s a miracle they even made the playoffs. Mayfield was hurt on opening night, played through it for 40 more games and finally surrendered to having surgery. He’s healthy now and that will benefit the penalty kill, which can’t get any worse; the Isles’ five-on-six play, which likely also can’t get any worse; and may most benefit Reilly, who will have a steady partner.
Mike Reilly
Has he found a home?
The flier Lamoriello took on Reilly was out of necessity — they had lost Pelech the night before and Mayfield was already missing time when the Isles claimed Reilly off waivers — and it was one of the better moves of the season. Reilly ended up the second-highest-scoring D-man on the squad with 24 points in 59 games. With a full season under Roy’s up-tempo system he could continue to thrive. But this is Reilly’s sixth NHL stop in a decade, so consistency hasn’t always been his strong suit.
(Photo of Ilya Sorokin: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
