The success of the New York Islanders in 2021 can be attributed to the entire team, but the goaltenders deserve a ton of credit.
One of the best goalies in the 2020 bubble, Semyon Varlamov picked up right where he left off and has been one of the best netminders so far this season.
Even with Varlamov’s phenomenal play in the playoffs, he wasn’t the talk of the town. Fans were incredibly eager to finally see top prospect Ilya Sorokin in the NHL.
Sorokin had been one of the best goalies in the KHL and was expected to do great things in North America, as well.