Will The Islanders Carry Three Goalies?

The New York Islanders have a goalie issue. They have a starter in Ilya Sorokin and two other goalies who seem NHL-ready. But it’s more complicated than picking the better back-up. 

Ilya Sorokin

Sorokin is the Islanders’ starting goaltender, but the team needs a reliable back-up so as to not burn him out or risk injury. The past few seasons, Sorokin has been leaned on a little too much, so having a reliable back-up is crucial. And while there are two options who could back Sorokin up, the Islanders haven’t made any decisions yet. 

Seymon Varlamov

Seymon Varlamov played his first game with the Islanders since he had two partial knee replacements during pre-season. He is looking and feeling more comfortable in net, but this is the first time any goaltender has attempted to come back after two partial knee replacements. It’s unclear what the wear and tear of an 84-game season will have on him. 

The Islanders need to ensure they have a reliable goalie in the AHL, should they need a third goaltender. 

Vitek Vanecek 

The goaltender that would make the most sense to play in the AHL is Vitek Vanecek. He is call-up ready and has played over 200 games in the NHL. 

Unfortunately, sending Vanek down to the AHL would also mean Vanecek has to clear waivers. And now more than ever, goaltenders are a scarcity in the NHL. Because of this, the Islanders may choose to hold three goalies on their roster. This would mean the team sacrifices a spot for a skater. 

Three Goalie Roster

The NHL allows a team to have a roster of 23 players. 20 of those players are allowed to dress per game. This usually will be the two goaltenders, six defensemen, and 12 forwards. The team will carry three extra skaters with them, usually resulting in two extra forwards and one extra defenseman.

Adjusting to have three goalies would limit the configuration of the roster. The roster would have the same number of skaters dressing per game, but with three goaltenders, it limits the extra skaters they can carry. The team would have to opt for an extra defenseman and an extra forward, or two extra forwards.