The New York Islanders got their best news of the preseason on Thursday: Starting goaltender Ilya Sorokin was on the ice at practice for the first time and “will do everything to be ready” for their season opener against the Utah Hockey Club at UBS Arena on Oct. 10.
Sorokin, an NHL Second-Team All-Star in 2022-23, stayed on the ice for the entire practice, one day after taking warmups. It was his first practice since having back surgery after he was injured during offseason workouts; he missed more than a week of training camp. The 29-year-old said he felt good and is leaving it up to coach Patrick Roy to determine a timeline.
“I feel good, mental and physical,” Sorokin said. “I’m going to do everything to be ready for opening night, but it’s Roy’s business. My business is to do all things with my body and my head.”
Roy said the Islanders aren’t going to rush Sorokin, who’s entering the first season of an eight-year contract he signed on July 1, 2023.
“We are just going to go day by day with him,” Roy said. “We don’t know what tomorrow will bring, so I’d rather keep it day by day and see how he is. We’re going to give him his time, no doubt about it.
“He looked really good, and he seemed to feel pretty comfortable. I am very happy to see him on the ice.”
If Sorokin can’t go on opening night, 36-year-old Semyon Varlamov is likely to start against Utah, with offseason signee Marcus Hogberg backing him up.
Sorokin is coming off his worst statistical season in the NHL, 25-19-12 with a 3.01 goals-against average, .908 save percentage and two shutouts; he lost the No. 1 job to Varlamov down the stretch. He also started Game 3 of the Eastern Conference First Round but was pulled from a 3-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes after allowing three goals on 14 shots.
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Latest NHL injury updates
Montreal’s Patrik Laine says knee sprain ‘could have been much worse’
Montreal Canadiens forward Patrik Laine will miss 2-3 months with a knee sprain sustained in a 2-1 overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs last Saturday. But he said after practice Thursday that he “kind of dodged a bullet with the knee.”
The 26-year-old forward, acquired by Montreal from the Columbus Blue Jackets on Aug. 18, was injured on a knee-on-knee collision with Toronto forward Cedric Pare early in first period and had to be helped off the ice and down the tunnel. Still, he said the injury “could have been much worse.”
Laine said it was his decision not to have surgery on the knee; he opted for rehab instead.
“I mean, it’s my knee after all,” he explained. “You know, it could go either way. I don’t think there’s ever any guarantees whether you do surgery or not. So, I’m sure me and the medical staff and everybody else will do everything we can to make sure it’ll be great once I come back.”
It’s the latest in a litany of injuries and other problems for Laine, the No. 2 pick in the 2016 NHL Draft. Laine was limited to 18 games last season, the last coming on Dec. 14, because of a broken clavicle. He had nine points (six goals, three assists). Laine began receiving care from the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program on Jan. 28 and was cleared from the program July 26. The six-time 20-goal scorer has played just 129 of 246 games the past three seasons.
Rangers practice without Artemi Panarin, who’s out with lower-body injury
Star forward Artemi Panarin was noticeably absent from New York Rangers practice on Thursday and is listed as day to day with a lower-body injury.
Panarin, coming off a 120-point season, left after four shifts and 2:25 of ice time in New York’s 5-4 win against the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday. Coach Peter Laviolette said afterward that the move was “precautionary” — but added that “There’s always a concern when a player leaves early.”
Panarin will skip New York’s final preseason game against the Islanders at UBS Arena on Friday. There’s no word as to whether Panarin will be ready for the Rangers’ season opener against the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena on Oct. 9. The Russian forward, who turns 33 on Oct. 30, hasn’t missed a game in the past two seasons.
It’s the second time Panarin has been injured this preseason. He left with a lower-body injury in the third period of the Rangers’ 6-4 win against the Islanders on Sept. 13 and missed one day of practice. The Rangers have not said whether the latest injury is related to the first.
The Rangers are already without defenseman Ryan Lindgren (upper body) and forward Jimmy Vesey (lower body). Each is expected to miss a few weeks.
Bruins captain Brad Marchand skips preseason game vs. Kings because of illness
Brad Marchand is still battling an illness, so he didn’t make the trip to Quebec City for the Boston Bruins preseason game against the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday.
“We’re just being cautionary with this illness,” coach Jim Montgomery said.
Marchand made his preseason debut Tuesday but left in the first period of Boston’s 4-1 win against the Philadelphia Flyers because he wasn’t feeling well.
Boston’s 36-year-old captain had elbow, groin, and abdominal surgery during the offseason. He returned to the ice on Sept. 24, wearing a non-contact jersey at practice, and dressed for the first time against the Flyers. The Bruins have one more preseason game after facing the Kings; they visit the Washington Capitals on Saturday.
Despite the illness, indications are that he’ll be ready to go when the Bruins open their regular season against the Florida Panthers on Tuesday.
He played in all 82 regular-season games for the Bruins last season, finishing with 67 points (29 goals, 38 assists) and a plus-2 rating.
