How can Islanders head coach and Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender Patrick Roy help Ilya Sorokin this summer?
How can Islanders head coach and Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender Patrick Roy help Ilya Sorokin this summer?
New York Islanders netminder Ilya Sorokin had a tough 2023-24 campaign.
The 28-year-old posted career-worsts with a 3.01 GAA and a .908 SV% in 56 games, losing the starting gig to partner Semyon Varlamov down the stretch.
He made just one start in the First Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, allowing three goals on 14 shots in Game 3 against the Carolina Hurricanes, before being pulled.
"It was a tough season for me, and I learned all season. Big experience," Sorokin said during break-up day. "It's a good time for me because when you don't win, you learn, and I have the confidence and motivation to be better."
With his eight-year extension worth $66 million ($8.25 M AAV) kicking in this upcoming season, a bounceback isn't a want but a need, making this summer extremely vital for Sorokin.
Unfortunately for Sorokin and the Islanders, his preparation will come without the guidance of Director of Goaltending Mitch Korn.
On Wednesday, the Nashville Predators announced that Barry Trotz had hired Korn, a not-so-shocking move as Korn came over with the former Islanders bench boss after winning the Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals in 2018:
Korn leaving is a significant loss for the Islanders, as he played a vital role in the success of Long Island's netminders, whether it was the Robin Lehner -- Thomas Griess duo, the tandem of Semyon Varlamov and Greiss before the latest pairing of Ilya Sorokin and Varlamov.
He's been with the Islanders for the entirety of Sorokin's NHL career, and although he wasn't handling the day-to-day goaltending operations, Korn played a crucial role in Sorokin establishing himself as one of the best netminders in the league.
Now, Sorokin will try to get back to that level without Korn.
The positive for Sorokin is that his goalie coach, Piero Greco, will remain with the club, the Islanders confirmed with The Hockey News on Wednesday.
Greco came over with Lou Lamoriello from the Toronto Maple Leafs ahead of the 2018-19 season.
Korn is a significant loss, but Greco would have been a bigger one.
What helps mitigate Korn's loss is that Patrick Roy is Sorokin's head coach, a Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender who has won everything under the sun.
Although Roy isn't a goalie coach, and the position has undoubtedly changed in the 21 years since he last played an NHL game, that doesn't mean he can't play a major in their success.
During Roy's first media session after being hired, I asked him about the role he wanted to play with New York's goaltenders.
"I don't really interfere in the teaching of goaltenders," Roy said. "There's one voice and it's our goal coach (Greco), and talking with Lou (Lamoriello), he's extremely pleased with the work of our goalie coach.
"Both goalies really love that person."
While Roy planned to avoid giving input on the technical aspects of the position, he wanted to lend a helping hand in one key area of goaltending.
"The thing that I love to do at times is -- my career was not always a Cinderella story. A lot of people see it as a Cinderella story, but it was not a Cinderella story. I had my ups and downs, and I can help them on the mental side of the game," Roy said. "(I can share) what I would do if I had a bad night, what do I do if I was on a streak? Before a big game, how do I approach it? And Varly already knows how I am thinking and what I mean, what I love to do with goalies.
"I know we have a great person in place. I haven't met him yet, but I look forward to meeting with him."
Roy kept his word.
During practice, outside of stip taps, when his goaltenders made strong saves and he discussed with his players how their positioning, notably the defenseman, impacted the vision of his netminders, he let Greco do his thing.
But there's no question he was doing what he could to help Sorokin and Varlamov with the mental side of the game behind the scenes.
Roy, who said early on that he would never say a bad thing about his netminders, did tell us that he wasn't 100 percent pleased with Sorokin back on March 19:
It was a shock to hear Roy say that, but one has to think that Roy knew what he was doing when he said that, as accountability was the new bench boss's thing.
Ultimately, Sorokin failed to turn his season around, and while his angles and rebound control will likely be a focus this summer, the mental side of the game has to be improved upon.
How hands-on Roy will be this summer with Sorokin, especially in Korn's absence, is yet to be determined and will only be known when we talk with the Islanders starter when training camp comes around.
But if Roy can help Sorokin build his confidence and get him to focus more on the first shot rather than anticipating too much, that will go a long way toward the much-needed bounce back.
As Roy said, his career wasn't a Cinderella story, and if there's anyone who could help Sorokin with the mental side of the sport, it's him.
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