Mitch Korn has been the New York Islanders' Director of Goaltending for all the years Ilya Sorokin has been with the organization. How will Korn's departure affect him and the rest of the Islanders' goaltenders?
Mitch Korn has been the New York Islanders' Director of Goaltending for all the years Ilya Sorokin has been with the organization. How will Korn's departure affect him and the rest of the Islanders' goaltenders?
If you attended a New York Islanders practice, you would see a man working with both Semyon Varlamov and Ilya Sorokin.
That coach was not Mitch Korn, the Islanders Director of Goaltending, but Piero Greco, the club's goalie coach.
So, on the surface, Korn's decision to rejoin Barry Trotz and the Nashville Predators doesn't have too much of a day-by-day effect on the Islanders' netminders.
However, this is a huge loss for the organization.
Korn was most noticeable during training camps, working with the NHL goaltenders as well as the organization's goalie depth.
Even when Korn wasn't on the ice, he was working in the video room with these goaltenders.
While Semyon Varlamov (2.60 GAA, .918 SV%) is coming off a strong season, Ilya Sorokin (2.99 GAA, .905 SV%) struggled mightily, making this offseason incredibly important for the team's franchise goaltender.
Now, Sorokin doesn't have Korn, who has been with him since he came over from Russia.
"Benoit Allaire helped Igor Shesterkin this year when he was off his game – – and now he’s playing possibly the best he’s played in his career," an NHL scout told The Hockey News. "Korn helping Sorokin this off-season or in training camp would’ve been a big help.
"It's video review and adjustment advice that Korn and Allaire are amazing at."
Now, maybe this move stings less for New York, which still has Greco doing the day-to-day work and Patrick Roy, a Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender, as the head coach.
Maybe this move allows Roy to speak more of his mind regarding his goaltenders something he said he would stay out of when hired back on Jan. 20.
But, Korn also played a vital role in goalie prospect development.
No, Jakub Skarek, who the Islanders took in the third round of the 2018 NHL Draft, has failed to develop, but Henrik Tikkanen (2020 seventh round), over his two seasons with the organization, has developed into the club's top goalie prospect:
Tristan Lennox, drafted in the third round of the 2022 NHL Draft, was hurt for most of his first professional season with the ECHL's Worcester Railriders but also seems to have a bright future at 21.
Sorokin is certainly the concern over prospects since he is set to begin the first year of an eight-year deal worth $66 million ($8.25 M AAV).
Having Sorokin feeling as good as possible coming into training camp is the most important thing for the Islanders, so finding him a trusted voice is a must unless Greco is expected to work more with him than initially planned.