Islanders Ilya Sorokin Named Vezina Finalist

New York Islanders netminder Ilya Sorokin has been named a Vezina Trophy finalst.

The New York Islanders knew — and still know — what they had in Ilya Sorokin. And now, the NHL has made it clear that it does, too.

On Thursday night, the NHL announced that the third-year NHLer was named a Vezina Trophy finalist for the first time in his career. 

Boston Bruins' Linus Ullmark and Winnipeg Jets' Connor Hellebuyck are the other two finalists.

In his first season as a true No. 1, Sorokin shined, posting a .924 SV% (fifth) with a 2.34 (third) GAA and a league-leading six shutouts in a career-high 62 appearances, 60 starts, with 31 wins. 

He bailed the Islanders out left and right on a nightly basis, owning the second-highest high-danger save percentage in the NHL at .852, per NaturalStatrick.com and per Moneypuck.com, ranked third with a 38.7 Goals Saved Above Expected.

Out of 22 goalies to play 3,000 minutes or more (50 starts), Sorokin ranked first in SV%, GAA, and Goals Saved Above Average (GSAA, 36.12).

Sorokin had a handful of highlight-reel saves this season.

One that stands out as one of the best came on Mar. 21 against the Toronto Maple Leafs as he stoned defenseman Erik Gustafsson with the paddle, a save that may go down as Save of the Year.

With a wide-open cage, Sorokin stretched back with the paddle to make a jaw-dropping save to keep the Islanders within one.

He was the Islanders' MVP, no question about it, and deserves Hart Trophy nominations. Without him, the Islanders would never have made the postseason. 

"He, in my mind, deserves to win Vezina. This year, he play outstanding," counterpart Semyon Varlamov said. 

In terms of the other two finalists, Ullmark had himself an elite season playing behind one of the greatest regular season teams of all-time, leading the league with a 1.89 GAA and a .938 SV% in 49 games. 

Hellebuck, in 64 appearances, owned a 2.49 GAA with a. 920 SV%. 

Ullmark is likely the winner of this award, with Sorokin as the runner-up, but there's no question Sorokin is the more skilled netminder. 

While wins play an important part in this award -- Ullmark winning 40 games -- Sorokin faced 382 more shots than Ullmark, 177 more high-danger shots. 

Ilya Sorokin becomes the second Islanders netminder over the last five years to be nominated for the award (Robin Lehner in 2018-19). 

If Sorokin wins, he will become just the second New York Islanders netminder in the history of the franchise to be awarded the Vezina, a 41-year gap since Billy Smith won it in 1982. 

The winner is selected by the 32 NHL General Managers and will be announced at the 2023 NHL Awards in Nashville, TN on Monday, June 26 at 8PM.