Islanders season preview: Counting on healthy Sorokin, fast start

The 2024-25 NHL season starts Oct. 4. With training camps underway, NHL.com is taking a look at the three keys, the inside scoop on roster questions, and the projected lineup for each of the 32 teams. Today, the New York Islanders.

Coach: Patrick Roy (second season)

Last season: 39-27-16, third in Metropolitan Division; lost in Eastern Conference First Round

3 KEYS

1. Ilya Sorokin

Islanders coach Patrick Roy said Sept. 16 that Sorokin had offseason back surgery. General manager Lou Lamoriello said three days earlier it was a minor upper-body injury, he wasn't concerned, and the 29-year-old goalie has been skating. Sorokin is in the first season of an eight-year contract he signed July 1, 2023, after going 25-19-12 with an NHL career-high 3.01 goals-against average and career-low .909 save percentage in 56 games (55 starts). He must play better, the Islanders better in front of him and hope he's healthy. New York added goalies Marcus Hogberg (two-year contract) and Keith Kinkaid (professional tryout) on the depth chart behind Semyon Varlamov.

2. The Roy effect

Roy showed why he won the Jack Adams Award coaching the Colorado Avalanche in 2013-14 and is a two-time Memorial Cup champion with Quebec of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (2006, 2023). The Hockey Hall of Fame goalie replaced Lane Lambert on Jan. 20 and went 20-12-5 and 8-0-1 down the stretch to get the Islanders into the Stanley Cup Playoffs. New York allowed 2.89 goals per game after Roy was hired, down from 3.36, and 1.89 during the nine-game push to the postseason. With a full training camp ahead of him, next is guiding the Islanders past the opening round for the first time since 2021.

3. A better start

The Islanders began last season 5-6-5 and were 19-15-11 (2-6-2 in a 10-game stretch) when Lambert was fired and needed that late surge and the Philadelphia Flyers losing eight in a row (0-6-2) late in the season to make the playoffs. They signed forward Anthony Duclair (four-year contract, July 1) and Kontinental Hockey League forward Maxim Tsyplakov (one year, May 16) hoping to get out quicker and help an offense that averaged 2.99 goals per game (22nd).

ROSTER RUNDOWN

Making the cut

Matthew Maggio could play well enough to be a mid-to-late season callup, or perhaps surprise with a strong preseason and accelerate his road to the NHL. The 21-year-old forward finished his first full season at Bridgeport of the American Hockey League with 16 points (10 goals, six assists) after the 2023 AHL All-Star Classic and six points (three goals, three assists) in his final 10 games, one season removed from scoring 54 goals and 111 points for Windsor of the Ontario Hockey League.

Most intriguing addition

Duclair started training camp at left wing with center Bo Horvat and Mathew Barzal on the top line and has the touch to spark what was the 19th-ranked power play last season (20.4 percent). He had 42 points (24 goals, 18 assists) in 73 games last season, 15 points (eight goals, seven assists) in 17 games after he was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning by the San Jose Sharks on March 7. Duclair has connections to current Islanders; he was Horvat's roommate when Canada won gold at the 2012 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, played two seasons with Jean-Gabriel Pageau on the Ottawa Senators (2018-20) and for Roy in the QMJHL from 2011-13.

Biggest potential surprise

Tsyplakov, who turned 26 on Sept. 19, had KHL career highs of 31 goals, 16 assists and 47 points for Spartak Moscow last season and confidence is high that his game can translate to North America. "He likes to get in on the forecheck and certainly make people aware of his size (6-foot-3, 210 pounds) and his strength," Islanders assistant general manager Chris Lamoriello said. "It's good timing for us and for him."

Ready to contribute

William Dufour is poised for bigger things after personal reasons limited him to 55 games with Bridgeport last season. The 22-year-old forward averaged 1.75 points per game and scored 56 goals and 116 points in 66 games for Saint John of the QMJHL in 2021-22. He made his NHL debut Jan. 18, 2023, playing 6:48 in a 4-1 loss to the Boston Bruins at UBS Arena.

Fantasy sleeper

Tsyplakov, F (undrafted on average in fantasy) – He is heading into his first NHL season after spending seven seasons in the KHL. If he gets the opportunity to rotate into New York's top six, he has sneaky upside with potential exposure to Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri. -- Anna Dua

PROJECTED LINEUP

Anthony Duclair -- Bo Horvat -- Mathew Barzal

Maxim Tsyplakov -- Brock Nelson -- Kyle Palmieri

Anders Lee -- Jean-Gabriel Pageau -- Pierre Engvall

Kyle MacLean -- Casey Cizikas -- Hudson Fasching

Alexander Romanov -- Noah Dobson

Adam Pelech -- Ryan Pulock

Mike Reilly -- Scott Mayfield

Ilya Sorokin

Semyon Varlamov