Islanders' offseason takeaways: Core intact, missing identity, Ilya Sorokin on the spot
Ilya Sorokin at UBS Arena last April. Credit: Jim McIsaac
The start of the NHL regular season is less than a month away for the Islanders and training camp opens on Thursday. This follows a relatively quiet offseason for Lou Lamoriello’s crew, with potential top-line wing Anthony Duclair and Russian forward Maxim Tsyplakov the main imports and longtime fourth-liner Cal Clutterbuck and, possibly, Matt Martin leading the list of departures.
Here are three takeaways from this offseason:
1. The Islanders likely didn’t do enough.
This is couched in the fact that the Islanders are pressed hard against the $88 million salary-cap ceiling and had little financial wiggle room during the offseason. But essentially leaving the core intact after two straight first-round playoff ousters and no playoff series wins since 2021 is underwhelming. They probably still need a defenseman and more scoring on the wing. Basically, Lamoriello is betting that Patrick Roy’s presence as coach for a full season will be enough improvement. True, the Rangers and Hurricanes, the two teams that finished ahead of the Islanders in the Metropolitan Division, had offseasons that weakened their rosters. But the Islanders start this season as far away from being the best in the Eastern Conference as they finished last season.
2. It is the end of an era.
Clutterbuck remains an unrestricted free agent and will not return, according to Lamoriello. Martin will attend training camp on a professional tryout offer. The two gritty fourth-liners for so long helped set the team’s identity with their play and dressing-room presence. Casey Cizikas still is around to carry on the legacy of his longtime linemates and Kyle MacLean took over as the fourth-line center midway through last season, but things certainly will feel a little different, at least to start the season, without Clutterbuck’s edginess and, if Martin does not make the team, his willingness to protect his teammates.
3. All eyes are on Ilya Sorokin.
And wondering when the franchise goalie will be on ice. Lamoriello said Friday that Sorokin suffered an upper-body injury during the offseason and might miss the start of training camp on Thursday. He said there are no current concerns that Sorokin will miss the start of the regular season on Oct. 10. Make no mistake, Sorokin’s presence is vital to the Islanders’ chances for success, both short and long term. The 29-year-old — dubbed a “Ferrari” by Roy — is starting his eight-year, $66 million extension but ended last season backing up Semyon Varlamov, who started four of the five playoff games. Sorokin was pulled from his only postseason start after allowing three goals on 14 shots. Varlamov, now 36, still is an above-average NHL netminder but any prolonged absence by Sorokin would gravely test the organization’s netminding depth. The only other goalies with NHL experience are newly signed Marcus Hogberg, 29, who last played for the Senators in 2021, and Farmingville’s Keith Kinkaid, 35, attending training camp on a PTO.
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
