#Islanders finally sign prized goalie prospect Ilya Sorokin

“#Islanders finally sign prized goalie prospect Ilya Sorokin”

The Islanders wasted no time in signing their prized goaltending prospect Ilya Sorokin, striking a deal just eight hours after the NHL’s window for teams to negotiate with unsigned draft picks opened on Monday.

Sorokin signed a one-year, entry-level contract worth $925,000, according to Cap Friendly, which is the standard rookie deal for 24-year-olds.

He will now be able to join the team for Phase 3 training camp, but is not permitted to participate in Phase 4, the NHL’s 24-team playoff tournament, due to the league and NHL Players Association’s recent agreement.

By signing now, the Russian netminder is able to burn the year off his entry-level contract and become a restricted free agent this summer — with the Islanders maintaining his rights.

Sorokin’s agent Dan Milstein — who made the official announcement — confirmed to The Post that Sorokin would be permitted to accompany the Islanders to Toronto despite not being able to play.

The 78th-overall pick in 2014 has been stellar for CSKA Moscow in the KHL for the past five seasons. This season Sorokin posted a 1.50 goals-against average and a .935 save percentage.

The Islanders’ expanded training camp roster may have been split into two groups for separate practice times to reduce player interaction as per the NHL’s “Return to Play” protocol, but there was one line that coach Barry Trotz knew he had to keep together.

“Obviously you saw [Anders] Lee was with [Mathew] Barzal and [Jordan] Eberle, that’s where we really finished off so I needed somewhere to start,” Trotz said on a Zoom call with reporters following Day 1 of training camp 2.0 on Monday.

The Lee-Barzal-Eberle line has been a staple in the Islanders’ lineup this season, with the trio accounting for 55 total goals during the regular season. For Lee, skating with Barzal and Eberle was the epitome of returning to normalcy.

“That familiarity that we have, chemistry that we have and all the things that we try to build off of, that comes back pretty quick,” Lee said. “I know it feels like it has been a few months. For us, our last games played were all together and all that stuff, so we can revert back to that, try to pick it up exactly where we left off.”

Trotz said, other than putting that first line together, there was no particular reason for how he arranged his players between the two groups. However, he wanted the players who may be fighting for a spot to know that they have to earn their place on a line.

“If you’re not on a line right now on a consistent basis, be it if you’re looking at our four centermen for instance, then find yourself working yourself onto a line. Real simply,” he said. “You’ll see in the next three or four days, you’ll probably see some movement on some of the lines based on taking another look.

“Maybe it’s some of the things that we’re doing on the ice and maybe some will be a bit of a reward for guys who in fact are earning the opportunity to move up in the lineup.”

Of the 34 players listed on the Islanders’ expanded training camp roster, five were “unfit to play” and did not skate in either session.

Center Leo Komarov, defenseman Nick Leddy and Bridgeport players Kieffer Bellows, Sebastian Aho and Jakub Skarek did not participate on Day 1.

“I can tell you really they’re just unfit to play right now,” Trotz said. “I expect our group will be growing here very shortly, that’s what I can say.”

The NHL says that it will not disclose injuries for Phase 3 or 4 of the league’s “Return to Play” plan, hoping to eliminate speculation between a hockey-related injury and a positive COVID-19 test result.

Instead, the league plans to release the overall number of players who test positive for the coronavirus. They will not disclosed the names of those infected.

The Islanders’ first group of skaters included Eberle, Lee, Barzal, Ross Johnston, Tom Kuhnhackl, Derick Brassard, Michael Dal Colle, JG Pageau, Ryan Pulock, Noah Dobson, Adam Pelech, Andy Greene and Grant Hutton. Semyon Varlamov and Bridgeport’s Chris Gibson were in net.

The second group included Josh Bailey, Anthony Beauvillier, Casey Cizikas, Otto Koivula, Andrew Ladd, Matt Martin, Brock Nelson, Oliver Wahlstrom, Johnny Boychuk, Thomas Hickey, Scott Mayfield and Devon Toews. Thomas Greiss was in net while Gibson participated again.