Sorokin is set to start at home against Tampa Bay on Saturday, according to Andrew Gross of Newsday.
Sorokin will attempt to extend his personal winning streak to five games after turning aside 130 of 138 shots (.942 save percentage) over his past four starts. He's 11-8-2 with a 2.53 GAA and a .910 save percentage in 21 outings this season. His current winning streak includes a 32-save shutout victory over Tampa Bay on Dec. 6.
Mayfield logged an assist, two shots on goal and three blocked shots in Thursday's 5-2 win over the Ducks.
Mayfield had gone 22 games without a point, and he also was away from the team for two contests to attend to a personal matter. The 33-year-old defenseman has been a fixture on the third pairing this season, but the Islanders' reliance on their top four has led to little production for him. Mayfield is at four assists, 31 shots on net, 22 hits, 43 blocked shots, 51 PIM and a plus-1 rating over 30 appearances.
Pageau notched an assist, three shots on goal, two hits and two blocked shots in Thursday's 5-2 win over the Ducks.
This was Pageau's second game back after missing eight with an upper-body injury. The 33-year-old has returned to a middle-six role, but he may be in line for more minutes if Bo Horvat (lower body) misses time after exiting Thursday's game. Pageau has produced 13 points, 26 shots on net, 36 hits, 25 blocked shots and a minus-1 rating through 24 appearances.
... See More... See Less
Islanders' Bo Horvat: Set to miss out Saturday
Rotowire
Horvat (lower body) remains day-to-day and is not expected to be ready to face the Lightning on Saturday, Stefen Rosner of NHL.com reports.
With Horvat out of the lineup, Mathew Barzal will move to the top line while Jean-Gabriel Pageau shifts back to center after playing wing the last few times out. For his part, the 30-year-old Horvat has been rolling of late, scoring five goals on 24 shots, including two with the man advantage, in his last seven outings.
... See More... See Less
Islanders' Jonathan Drouin: Ready for Saturday
Rotowire
Drouin (back) is participating at Friday's optional practice and is slated to return to action Saturday versus Tampa Bay, Stefen Rosner of NHL.com reports.
Drouin was in a slump prior to getting hurt, as he had only one assist in a nine-game span from Nov. 16 - Dec. 2. Overall, the 30-year-old has three goals and 12 assists in 26 appearances. He should slot back as a top-six forward upon his return.
... See More... See Less
Islanders' Ryan Pulock: Lights lamp in win
Rotowire
Pulock scored a goal, placed four shots on net and blocked three shots in Thursday's 5-2 win over Anaheim.
Pulock struck the back of the net near the end of the third period to put the Isles up 5-2. The twine finder was his first of the season to go along with 15 assists, 41 shots on goal, 56 blocks and 24 hits through 32 games. After a standard start to the season offensively, the 31-year-old blueliner has been just shy of a point per game over his last eight contests and is tied for the team lead in assists with Mathew Barzal. Pulock also provides solid category coverage and is on pace for his eighth consecutive season with at 100 blocked shots. His defensive pairing alongside Matthew Schaefer has paid dividends for both players this season, giving the veteran Pulock above-average fantasy value in category-based leagues.
... See More... See Less
Islanders' Tony DeAngelo: Helps out twice Thursday
Rotowire
DeAngelo dished out two power-play assists in Thursday's 5-2 win over the Ducks.
DeAngelo set up a pair of power-play goals scored by Anders Lee in the first period. With the pair of apples, DeAngelo is up to 12 assists, 13 points, 54 shots on goal and 28 blocks through 32 games this season. Five of his helpers have come in the last nine games, proving he's been a relatively steady source of offense for the Islanders from the blue line. Despite serving on the second pairing behind rookie sensation Matthew Schaefer and reliable veteran Ryan Pulock, DeAngelo still has fantasy value in deep leagues while averaging nearly a block per game in addition to his offensive contributions.
... See More... See Less
Islanders' Anders Lee: Shines with four points
Rotowire
Lee scored two power-play goals, distributed two assists and put two shots on goal in Thursday's 5-2 win over Anaheim.
Lee showcased his skill on the power play early in the contest, as he tallied two goals with the man advantage before the end of the opening period. He also slid the primary helper on Simon Holmstrom's goal in the final frame before tallying a secondary assist on Ryan Pulock's twine finder. Lee's four-point night brings his season totals up to eight goals, 12 assists, 80 shots on net and 27 hits through 32 games. With his effort Thursday, the 35-year-old winger moved up to fourth in points among Islanders players. He has solid fantasy value in most scoring-based formats and is on track to secure his fifth consecutive season with 37-plus points.
... See More... See Less
Islanders' Simon Holmstrom: Records three points
Rotowire
Holmstrom scored a goal, tallied two assists, including one with the man advantage, and put two shots on net in Thursday's 5-2 win over the Ducks.
Holmstrom followed up a solid performance Tuesday with a three-point night just two days later. He tallied both of his helpers in the first period before he scored the first of two insurance goals in the third. After Thursday's trio of points, Holmstrom now has six goals, seven assists, 30 shots on net and 28 blocks through 31 games this season. The 24-year-old winger seems to be back on track after a 14-game point drought that lasted through the majority of November. He still needs a few more performances like Thursday's to get on pace to match the 45 points he tallied a year ago, but he has two different stints with a goal in back-to-back games this season, showcasing that he can get hot. This fact, combined with the Islanders' recent success, gives Holmstrom temporary streaming value in deeper fantasy leagues.
... See More... See Less
Islanders' Travis Mitchell: Tallies first NHL goal
Rotowire
Mitchell scored a goal and placed three shots on net in Thursday's 5-2 win over Anaheim.
Mitchell found the back of the net midway through the opening period to help spark the Islanders' offense early in the team's five-goal night. The twine finder was his first career goal and point through seven NHL games. While Mitchell is buried on the Isles' depth chart and remains off the fantasy radar, his goal Thursday could lead to more playing time moving forward over Adam Boqvist, who also has just one point through less than a dozen games this season.
... See More... See Less
Islanders' David Rittich: Solid performance in win
Rotowire
Rittich turned aside 31 of 33 shots on net in Thursday's 5-2 win over the Ducks.
Rittich tended a clean first 20 minutes before he allowed one goal in each of the final two periods. With the win, he is up to a 7-3-1 record with a 2.59 GAA and a .905 save percentage through 11 outings this season. The 33-year-old goalie is playing the backup role better than most second options across the league, as he ranks among the top 25 in save percentage for netminders with double-digit appearances this year. While his ceiling in fantasy is capped by Ilya Sorokin's elite play to receive the bulk of the starts, Rittich is currently one of the best spot start options for fantasy managers in need of a goalie in a pinch. Keep an eye on Rittich's starting status moving forward.
Horvat sustained a lower-body injury and won't return to Thursday's game against Anaheim.
Horvat had two shots on 10:01 of ice time before exiting the game. He has 19 goals and 31 points through 31 appearances in 2025-26. Calum Ritchie might shift up to to the Islanders' top six if Horvat isn't an option Saturday versus Tampa Bay.
... See More... See Less
Islanders' David Rittich: Starting versus Ducks
Rotowire
Rittich will guard the home goal versus the Ducks on Thursday, Andrew Gross of Newsday reports.
Rittich will make his second start in three games. The Ducks are an intimidating opponent, having scored 19 goals over their last five contests while going 4-1-0 in that span. With Rittich making this start, Ilya Sorokin should be expected to face the Lightning on Saturday.
... See More... See Less
Islanders' Jonathan Drouin: Won't play versus Ducks
Rotowire
Drouin (back) will not be in the lineup against Anaheim on Thursday, Stefen Rosner of NHL.com reports.
Drouin has been out of action for the Isles' last four contests and will now be on the shelf for a fifth. Prior to suffering his back injury, the 30-year-old center was mired in a nine-game goal drought during which he registered one assist, 17 shots and six blocks while averaging 18:52 of ice time. With Drouin on the shelf, the Isles have shifted Jean-Gabriel Pageau to the wing on the second line for Mathew Barzal.
Tsyplakov was scratched for Tuesday's 5-4 shootout win over the Golden Knights.
This scratch came after five straight games in the lineup for Tsyplakov, who got bumped out by the return of Jean-Gabriel Pageau (upper body). Tsyplakov has done nothing to help his case for playing time -- he's gone without a point in his last 14 games while getting scratched eight times in that span. The 27-year-old has a meager one goal, 15 shots on net, 37 hits and a minus-6 rating over 20 appearances after putting up 10 goals and 35 points in 77 outings a year ago.
... See More... See Less
Islanders' Emil Heineman: Nets winning tally in shootout
Rotowire
Heineman scored the winning tally in Tuesday's 5-4 shootout win over Vegas.
Despite recording just one shot on goal and two hits in regulation and overtime, Heineman became the hero in Tuesday's shootout win. He converted the team's fourth attempt for the only score. While he didn't find the scoresheet, the shootout tally could be a confidence boost for the 24-year-old winger. He already has 16 points through 31 games this season, which is just two tallies away from matching his career high through 62 regular-season games a year ago. He also offers a premium in hits with 109 on the season, which ranks third among all skaters. He hasn't earned a point in his last six games, but Heineman remains a solid option in nearly all banger league formats while seeing top-line minutes.
0:51
0:55
0:25
0:52
0:26
0:40
1:04
1:14
1:12
0:57
0:39
0:40
1:05
0:44
0:59
1:01
0:57
0:30
0:29
0:39
