Islanders' Ilya Sorokin bluntly shoots down trade rumor amid offseason buzz - "Let them talk"

NHL: Washington Capitals at New York Islanders - Source: Imagn
Ilya Sorokin's response to trade rumors surrounding him in offseason (Source: Imagn)

New York Islanders' star goalie Ilya Sorokin has responded to trade rumors that surfaced over the past week. Sorokin, who finished his fifth NHL season in 2024-25, spoke about the rumors with RG.org's Sergey Demidov, featuring in his Sunday column.

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In his statement, Sorokin said he wasn’t surprised by the talks about his move. Sorokin explained that trade rumors are part of the business. What surprised him was how seriously people took the rumors, even though he had a no-trade clause.

"I wasn’t surprised by the rumors— (because) it’s part of the business," Sorokin said (as translated by Google). "What did surprise me, though, was how seriously people (in the NHL community) took them, even though everyone knows I have a no-trade clause. But overall—let them talk."
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Sorokin has a contract with the New York Islanders that runs through 2032. The eight-year deal signed in 2023 is worth $66 million. The contract includes a full no-movement clause until 2028. After that, it becomes a 16-team no-trade clause for the next four years. This means the Islanders cannot trade him without his permission throughout the term of his contract.

Sorokin's name recently came up in reports from NHL insider Frank Seravalli. Seravalli said there may have been talks between the Islanders and the Utah Mammoth.

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"I do think that ... there's been some conversation around Sorokin. Sources indicated that there might have been some kind of draft day deal that involved Utah and the number four pick as part of a (James) Hagens deal that the Islanders were trying to work," Seravalli said on Sports 1440 am.

The Islanders were rumored to be interested in top prospect James Hagens. Utah later denied the rumor to Seravalli, but he said it was hard to confirm how serious the talks were.

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Last season, Sorokin started 60 games, registering 30 wins and 4 shutouts. His goals-against average was 2.71, and his save percentage was .907, one of his career bests since his debut in the 2020–21 season.

Ilya Sorokin's agent, Dan Milstein's statement

On Thursday, Ilya Sorokin's agent, Dan Milstein, also said Sorokin is not going anywhere. With a no-movement clause and a solid role on the team, Sorokin controls his future.

"Ilya Sorokin has a full no-trade clause and has never been part of any trade discussions — not at any point. Surprised this needs correcting, but here we are. There’s a difference between reporting facts and creating buzz around yourself," Milstein wrote on X.
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So, it's certainly clear that the Islanders were not looking to trade Ilya Sorokin.

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Edited by Victor R. Lopez M.
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