Rejoice Islanders fans: Ilya Sorokin is back. There was very little doubt that Sorokin was coming back to the Island. It was only a question of when, how much and how long. We now know that Sorokin, 26, has signed a three-year contract worth $12 million.

There have been rumors ever since free agency started that Sorokin and the Islanders had reached a deal. Sorokin had an interview in Russia early in the summer and was asked about his contract situation. He responded by saying that he expects a deal to be done soon and that both sides were looking to get a deal done.

Nevertheless, this deal is amazing. The Russian goaltender had an excellent rookie year, posting a .918 save percentage and a 2.17 goals against average. He started five playoff games, winning four and posting a .922 SV%.

His first game against the New York Rangers was a little concerning. However, Sorokin really settled into becoming an NHL goaltender after his debut. The highlight of this year was his four playoff wins against the Penguins. Sorokin showed a lot of progress last year and is really looking like the goalie of the future for the Islanders.

What this also means for the Islanders is that they will continue to have two elite goalies on the roster. This is a trend we have seen with this team since Barry Trotz took over the head coach job. It has started out with Robin Lehner and Thomas Griess, now it has led to Semyon Varlamov and Ilya Sorokin. There is no question that the team has had success with this method — the only question is if they can get over that hump to reach and win the Stanley Cup.

Jack Kobil

Hi, my name is Jack Kobil. I am currently attending Woodrow Wilson High School in Washington DC. I am a huge Islanders fan and I love to share my passion for this team.