Islanders GM clarifies Ilya Sorokin's involvement in major mid-season goalie coach change, Piero Greco's firing

The New York Islanders announced a surprising move on Wednesday. GM Mathieu Darche made it known that the club had made a goalie coach change, following Piero Greco’s dismissal.

Greco, who had been with the Islanders since 2018, was fired amid a slumping starting netminder, Ilya Sorokin. In Greco’s place, AHL goalie coach Sergei Naumovs was promoted to the big club.

Naumovs has worked with Sorokin during offseasons, has been credited with helping Sorokin improve his game. That situation prompted Darche to clarify Sorokin’s alleged involvement in the decision to move on from Greco.

Darche stated during a press availability on Wednesday:

"It's my decision. The players will never you 'Hey, I want this coach'. I know he's had success with Sergei, and that's where we went."

Darche made it known that he was the responsible party for Greco’s dismissal. As he stated, it was “100 percent” on him.

It’s worth pointing out that the relationship between Naumovs and Sorokin goes back some time. Naumovs coached Sorokin during the latter’s time with CSKA Moskva. Naumovs worked with Sorokin from 2018 to 2020, a time in which Sorokin was brilliant in the KHL, posting a 54-16-7 record with a .937 SV%.

Islanders needed a reset for their goalies

The Islanders went from having arguably the best goalie tandem in the NHL to an uncertain situation. The tandem of Ilya Sorokin and Semyon Varlamov was a huge part of the Isles’ improbable playoff run in 2024.

However, things have changed this season. Varlamov is still recovering from knee surgery, while Sorokin has struggled. As such, Darche made it known that it was time for the Islanders’ goalies to get a reset.

He stated:

“We just felt at this time it was the right timing to have a reset with our goalies. There’s obviously a history with Sergei and Ilya, and we just made that decision going forward.”

That reset includes Varlamov as he recovers from surgery, and David Rittich. The Isles signed Rittich this past offseason to back up Sorokin. The switch from Greco to Naumovs promises to boost Sorokin’s play while helping the other netminders stay on top of their game.

Naumovs had been working with the Islanders’ AHL affiliate in Bridgeport. The internal move seems reasonable, as an in-season coaching change always tends to be a complicated move.

The Isles have recovered from an 0-3 start and look poised to turn things around. The club hopes that Naumovs’ influence will aid the team in getting back into the playoff hunt.

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Edited by Nestor Quixtan