"Sorokin has the least amount of flaws compared to any goalie in the NHL. His butterfly is tight and compact and very few pucks go through him. Which means that he forces shooters to make accurate shots to beat him."
There are at least a "Lucky Seven" good reasons why the New York Islanders crack goalkeeper Ilya Sorokin should win the Vezina Trophy. They are as follows:
1. His superior tracking-the-puck ability.
2. His advanced athleticism.
3. His uniquely positive explosiveness in the crease.
4. His abundance of top-level skills.
5. His innately high I.Q's. (That is Intelligence Quotient and Intensity Quotient.)
6. His uncanny ability to know precisely where the puck is and -- just as vital -- where it's going to be.
7. His physical strength, which enables him to avoid injuries that have sidelined so many other goaltenders so often.
Mind you, these are not merely The Maven's opinions.
To get a valid interpretation of Sorokin's Vezina qualifications, I asked a former National Hockey League Stanley Cup-winning goalie, as well as a hockey author-historian.
In addition, I added my own thoughts, having studied goaltenders for more than half a century.
I began goalie-analyzing in 1942 with Toronto Maple Leafs Hall of Famer Turk Broda and up through Isles Dynasty Cup-winner Bill Smith and now, to the present "butterfly-oriented" stoppers.
My favorite of the present crease aces is Ilya Sorokin and I have a legion of experts who support my claim. One of them you are sure to know and respect.
Former Islanders hero and 1980 Stanley Cup-winner, Glenn (Chico) Resch has carefully studied the Sorokin Effect. Currently the New Jersey Devils radio analyst, Resch offered the following exclusive summary of Ilya's unique talent:
"Sorokin can stop the straight on shots," Resch explained, "and even the high-quality ones. He knows he has to outplay the goalie at the other end of the rink on many, many occasions -- and he does just that.
"He will take a step out of the crease to challenge and cut down the open area of the shooting area at times. Plus, he's very calculated in his movements. In other words, he reads the developing play very accurately."
READ MORE: Islanders Ilya Sorokin Named Vezina Finalist
Co-author of the soon-to-be-published 50 Year History of the Islanders, Zachary Weinstock, takes a more literary view of The Sorokin Style.
Weinstock: "There seems to be a magnetic pull between the black, rubber and something in his goalie pads. Boiled down to one word, it's 'athleticism.' One could say that his secret is all about his legs.
"Looking back at all of the goalies in Islanders history, I cannot recall a single one who controlled the lower two-thirds of the net the way Sorokin does. Really, you have to think hard to recall the times when he was beaten low."
The Maven knows that Ilya is in the top three in all the advanced goaltending statistics. But what really matters is how much he means to the team, game after game, and over the entire 82-contests season.
"Putting it bluntly," Weinstock added, "Sorokin is the primary reason why the Islanders made the playoffs."
Which is not to take anything away from co-nominees Linus Ullmark of the Boston Bruins nor Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets. They are in the running because each has had a sterling season.
But I submit -- taking all factors into consideration -- Sorokin deserves it more.
In plain English, Ullmark was "carried" by a uniquely talented, top-to-bottom team that ran away with many league marks for excellence.
Hellebuyck has been an acknowledged winner but, I submit -- based on all the available evidence -- that he ranks third behind Sorokin and Ullmark. Chico Resch cited the primary differences:
"Sorokin has the least amount of flaws compared to any goalie in the NHL. His butterfly is tight and compact and very few pucks go through him. Which means that he forces shooters to make accurate shots to beat him.
"He also has a nice East-West, North-South flow to his movements. Mentally, he doesn't seem to have many moments of losing his confidence nor his concentration."
The native of Mezhdurechensk, Russia led the NHL with six shutouts during the past regular season. One highlight took place on the night of November 23, 2022 when he turned aside 49 shots. It was the most by any goalie in a shutout performance during the past campaign.
Ilya represented the Isles at the 2023 NHL All-Star Game in Sunrise, Florida; a signal occasion in his career and so is this, his first Vezina Trophy nomination.
Other Vezina finalists in franchise history include Billy Smith (1982), Roland Melanson (1983), Kelly Hrudey (1988) and Robin Lehner (2019). Smitty was the only one of the group to have won the award.
Whether Sorokin captures the prize or not, he invariably demonstrates that -- in addition to mastering his craft -- he's a sportsman above all.
"It's not just me," Ilya likes to say, "it's the team!"
True enough; but as far as the 2022-2023 season is concerned, Ilya Sorokin was the team!
And his "Lucky Seven" assets are good reasons why he should be victorious
with the Vezina!