Pete DeBoer ditches the hands-off approach to goaltending starts, prioritizing a collaborative strategy to preserve Ilya Sorokin’s stamina for a grueling playoff push alongside a returning Semyon Varlamov.
EAST MEADOW, NY -- The New York Islanders are shifting their mentality on which goaltender gets the start between the pipes.
Former head coach Patrick Roy, a Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender, made it abundantly clear early in his tenure that he would rely solely on his goaltending coach, Piero Greco, to determine who starts.
"It's Piero [Greco] who makes the decision," Roy said during a trip to Buffalo back in March of 2024. "I support whatever he says. He knows and feels the guys."
That mindset lasted even after Greco was replaced by Sergei Naumovs early in the 2025-26 season.
But when current head coach Pete DeBoer was asked on Friday about managing the workloads of Ilya Sorokin and Semyon Varlamov, the latter of whom is returning to the NHL after two partial knee replacements, he said it would be a collective decision.
"That'll be a combination of conversations between Sergei [Naumovs], myself, and the two goalies," DeBoer said.
Since Varlamov went down with his injury on Nov. 29, 2024, the Islanders have relied heavily on Sorokin, especially down the stretch during the playoff push.
Fatigue has certainly affected Sorokin's ability to be as sharp late in the season, but the Islanders had no other option. He is their No. 1 netminder, and even when he's a little tired, he still gives them their best chance to win a hockey game.
DeBoer may have to run Sorokin every game down the stretch, so handling him correctly during the regular season is crucial.
"If we end up in that spot again, I have to make sure I set the table now that he's capable of doing that without being worn out," DeBoer said. "That's exactly why we have to manage that early in the season, because you have to assume we're going to be in a battle right to the wire.
"If we need to run him a bunch of games in a row down the stretch, he has to have enough gas in the tank to do that. You got to set the table for that early in the season."
After turning aside 24 of 26 shots that came his way in the Islanders' 2-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday, Sorokin will start against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday for their home opener.
