After finishing well outside the playoff picture and trading away star defenseman Noah Dobson, the New York Islanders appear to be in a bit of a re-tool. While that could mean other stars will be on the move soon, goaltender Ilya Sorokin reportedly won't be among them.
Dan Milstein, Sorokin's agent who also represents other Russian stars such as Andrei Vasilevskiy and Nikita Kucherov, posted to social media Thursday that Sorokin "has never been part of any trade discussions" this offseason. He also called out those who spread the trade rumors in the first place.
Ilya Sorokin has a full no-trade clause and has never been part of any trade discussions — not at any point. Surprised this needs correcting, but here we are. There’s a difference between reporting facts and creating buzz around yourself. #WeAreGoldStar!
— Dan Milstein (@HockeyAgent1) July 10, 2025
"Ilya Sorokin has a full no-trade clause and has never been part of any trade discussions — not at any point," Milstein wrote. "Surprised this needs correcting, but here we are. There’s a difference between reporting facts and creating buzz around yourself."
Sorokin, 29, has seven years remaining on his deal at an annual cap hit of $8.25 million, the fourth highest among active goaltenders. He has a full no-movement clause until 2028, when it then becomes a 16-team no-trade clause.
Drafted in the third round of the 2014 NHL Draft, Sorokin boasts a .916 save percentage, a 2.57 goals against average and a 125-89-36 record throughout his career with the Islanders. Unfortunately, this season was a bit of a down year for him as he recorded a career-low .907 save percentage with a 2.71 goals against average and a 30-24-6 record. He started 61 games, one shy of his career-high, with longtime partner Semyon Varlamov missing most of the season due to injury.
Even if the Islanders want to give their roster a shake-up, it doesn't make much sense to part ways with Sorokin at this time. He's one of the best goalies in the league when he's at his best, and they have him signed to a very reasonable contract until 2032. He's one of the players they should be building around, not be looking to trade away.
Then again, only Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche truly knows what the future has in store.
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