New York Islanders’ Unrealistic Trade Partners for Ilya Sorokin

Just like Toronto, facilitating a trade for Sorokin would be difficult, but not impossible. Some trade pieces from Ottawa’s perspective could be Jakob Chychrun, Shane Pinto , the seventh overall pick, and the Boston Bruins 2024 first-round pick. Since the value is so hard to gauge, none of these pieces are said to be worth equal, more, or less than Sorokin, rather just assets that could be used in a hypothetical trade.

Carolina Hurricanes

Once again, it must be stated how unrealistic a Sorokin trade is. However, on the off chance he is getting shopped, it is hard to imagine the Carolina Hurricanes would not be at the forefront of the sweepstakes. The team that has goaltender turnover like no other in recent seasons is sure to be aggressive in acquiring Sorokin. General manager Don Waddell has also shown no hesitancy to acquire superstars, evident in his 2024 Trade Deadline acquisition of Jake Guentzel. While Carolina is going to be tight to the salary cap ceiling this offseason, they may still be aggressive in making a major move if they fall short of the Stanley Cup this year.

The last thing the Hurricanes lack is assets. The Islanders would be able to pick from first and second-round draft picks in any future season, as well as great youth forwards such as Martin Necas, Jackson Blake, Bradly Nadeau, and others. Of course, Carolina may not necessarily be shopping these pieces, but they are all names that could get brought up in trade discussions. However, if they were to pursue Sorokin, they would likely need to put in a significantly higher bid than other suitors since they reside within the Islanders’ division.

Edmonton Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers have perhaps had the most frustrating experiences with goaltending in recent seasons. As Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl’s primes progress, the franchise may feel the need to make a major acquisition to solve its goaltending problems. Since Draisaitl’s contract expires following the 2024-25 season and McDavid’s the season after, the 2024 offseason may be the last time to make such a major move.

The biggest hurdle for Edmonton to climb would be remaining cap-compliant. This would require offloading Jack Campbell’s contract, which the Islanders would not be willing to take on. Edmonton could buy out Campbell or spend assets to dump his contract elsewhere.

In a trade, the Islanders would target some of Edmonton’s draft capital, as well as skaters Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Dylan Holloway, Matt Copponi, and goaltender Stuart Skinner. A Sorokin to Edmonton trade feels like the least realistic of any of the teams mentioned above, but it is hard to imagine they wouldn’t inquire at the very least.

Los Angeles Kings

The Los Angeles Kings have been as aggressive in the goaltending market as much as anyone recently. Rumors have gone from Linus Ullmark to Jacob Markstrom and now Darcy Kuemper as Kings’ trade targets. While they will be tight to the salary cap, they have the assets necessary to pull off a trade. General manager Rob Blake has also shown a willingness to pull off blockbuster deals when he sees a fit. However, only time will tell how he solves the issues in the crease.

As trade rumors continue to grow, Sorokin remains one of the least likely trade candidates to actually get moved. Not only would it not make sense to move on from a player like Sorokin, but it is hard to imagine Lamoriello would move on from him. However, in the crazy scenario he does get shopped, the Islanders would have a line of teams bidding for the netminder.