Monday Morning ramblings featuring Sorokin, Rittich, Ingram, Montembault, and a WJC wrap-up

Ilya Sorokin was placed on IR for a nagging issue, retroactive to December 20. Islanders reporter Stefen Rosner tweeted on Saturday: 'I watched him do drills with Naumovs this morning. He was exploding laterally, looked like himself.' Naumovs refers to Sergei Naumovs, goalie coach of Latvian origin.

Sorokin (12-10-2, 0.910%) leads the NHL with a +22.8 goals saved above expected. His 3.80 wins above replacement is also the top mark for all goalies.

The Islanders are in good hands while Sorokin recovers because David Rittich has been playing exceptionally well and actually has a higher GSAx/60 (+1.268) than Sorokin (+0.952). Rittich (9-4-2, 0.918%) threw down a shutout against the New York Rangers on Saturday night, stopping all 27 shots. Rittich is 4-0 in his career against the Rangers allowing only 3 goals in all (0.975%). He started back to back weekend games for the Isles.

Overtime save percentage is much lower than regulation save percentage because more goals are scored 3 on 3. However, Sorokin (11/11) and Rittich (5/5) have been perfect in OT this season stopping all 16 shots combined. The Islanders four OT losses have all been in the shootout.

In the past 6 seasons, Rittich has played for 6 different teams - Flames, Maple Leafs (just 4 games), Predators, Jets, Kings, and now the Islanders. Over his career, his quality start percentage hovers around 50%, but this year it is at 71.4%. His save percentage on the penalty kill really stands out this season (0.907%), and he is playing even better on home ice where his record is 7-1-1, and his save percentage is 0.931%. The only starter to have a better save percentage at home is Mackenzie Blackwood (0.933%). 

With Tristan Jarry on the shelf, Connor Ingram has played well in his first 3 games as an Oiler. He is 2-1 with 3 goals allowed against Vegas, followed by 4 goals allowed in two games against the Flames - totalling 7 goals allowed on 80 shots (0.913%). In each of the three games he has been on the positive side of the ledger for goals saved above expected. It is a very small sample size but early returns look good.

There were some rumours about the Oilers trying to coax Marc-Andre Fleury out of retirement, but if Ingram is playing steady, then the Oilers would be ok moving forward with a Jarry/Ingram tandem.

Sell high alert! John Klingberg has 6 goals in his last 10 games. He is shooting over 20% on the season, almost 3 times his career average. He is also one of five Sharks defensemen that are unrestricted free agents - Ferraro, Leddy, Desharnais, and Liljegren are the others. Lots of turnover is possible around the trade deadline.

Buy low alert! Brock Boeser's points per game are at a career low 0.49 ppg. He is getting 72.5% of his team's power play time. His shooting percentage is low, his 5 on 5 shooting percentage is low, he has no secondary assists, his IPP is low, his power play IPP is low. His points per 60 are always above 2, yet this season he is at 1.5. He could likely be had for less than his actual value from a disgruntled owner.

Ok let's switch to the action from the World Juniors:

For the American World Junior team, it has been the line of Will Zellers, Brendan McMorrow, and AJ Spellacy that has been the most dangerous.

Will Zellers, a 3rd round pick of the Avalanche, has 3 goals in 2 games, including game winning goals against both Germany and Switzerland.

B.McMorrow, a 7th round pick of the Kings, was named player of the game for USA in their first game against Germany. Team USA is 0 for 6 on the power play.

Despite boasting 18 first round picks, Team Canada has only outshot their opposition 65 to 60 after 2 games.

The best trio for Canada thus far has been the Gavin McKenna (0g 4a), Michael Hage (2g 2a), and Brady Martin (1g 1a) line. G.McKenna has 2 assists in each of the first two games. Michael Hage, a 1st round pick of the Canadiens, scored the overtime winner on a one timer, set up by G. McKenna, after Latvia got 2 minutes for a delay of game penalty that spanned the end of the 3rd period and the beginning of overtime. Both Canada goals came on the power play.

The one area where M.Hage doesn't look good is at the faceoff dot. He won just 3 of his first 20 faceoffs to begin this tournament and there is a question whether he will be a winger or a center at the NHL level.

His linemate at the University of Michigan Will Horcoff, a 1st rd pick of the Penguins, has shifted to center in NCAA play. The two have been ripping up the NCAA in scoring, each with 28 points in 20 games.

They are tied for 2nd in NCAA scoring, only trailing Horcoff's USA teammate Max Plante (30 pts in 20 games for the University of Minnesota). If both names sound familiar, it is because of the bloodlines. Horcoff the son of former Oiler Shawn Horcoff, and Plante the son of former Sabre Derek Plante.

Speaking of father-son genetics, Finland's Aatos Koivu, 3rd round pick of the Canadiens and son of Saku, scored a goal in Finland's first game.

Playing in nets for Hage and Horcoff at Michigan is Jack Ivankovic, a 2nd round pick of the Predators. He is also at the World Juniors representing Canada. He almost pitched a shutout (26 saves on 27 shots) against Latvia if it weren't for the late game heroics of Rudolfs Berzkalns who tied it for Latvia with less than 2 minutes left in the 3rd period.

It is only 1 game each, but Ivankovic (16-4, 0.927%, University of Michigan) has played better than Carter George (10-9-2, 0.899%, Owen Sound Attack) a 2nd round pick of the Kings who stopped 28 of 33 shots against Czechia.

Ethan MacKenzie, the only undrafted 19 year old on Team Canada has also looked good on defense (1g 2a) matching Zayne Parekh's 3 points. On the Edmonton Oil Kings, MacKenzie has 31 points in 30 games this season. Both of Parekh's goals against Czechia were similar: quick slingshot releases placed perfectly in the top corner, through a screen of players. Z.Parekh is a highly touted offensive defenseman drafted 9th overall by the Flames.

Who has been unlucky at the World Juniors? That would be Adam Novotny, leading scorer of the Peterborough Petes, and 2026 draft eligible Czechia player. He has 15 shots through 2 games but zero goals to show for it. Novotny is projected to go in round 1 of the 2026 NHL draft, and will likely be the first Czech player taken.

On the opposite end we have Will Zellers who has scored on all 3 of his shots and is therefore shooting 100%.

Czechia's Adam Jiricek, a first round pick of the Blues and younger brother of Minnesota prospect David Jiricek, has been blocking shots and taking shots, peppering the opposing goalie with 12 through two games.

After taking Canada to overtime, Latvia folded like a cheap tent against Finland. Mikus Vecvanags, a 5th round pick of the Canadiens, was lit up for 8 goals on 41 shots. In fact Finland had more goals than Latvia had shots.

Leading the way for Finland this tournament, has been 2026 draft eligible forward Jasper Kuhta (1g 4a), Heiki Ruohonen (1g 3a) a 4th round pick of the Flyers, undrafted Roope Vesterinen (3g), and defenseman Aron Kiviharju (3a), a 4th round pick of the Wild.

The only teams with no representation at the World Juniors are the Vegas Golden Knights, the Columbus Blue Jackets, and the Carolina Hurricanes. Had Russia been allowed to play the Hurricanes would be removed from this short list as they have a lot of young Russian talent.

When we break down the standings from Christmas 2024 to Christmas 2025, one of the surprising stats we find is that the Montreal Canadiens have the 5th best winning percentage. Only the Avalanche, Stars, Golden Knights, and Capitals have been better.

However, the Habs goal differential over that time is only +1, which is not as reassuring.

Samuel Montembault was strong during the stretch run of the 2024-25 season (made 60 starts last season!), but has turned into a pumpkin for the 2025-26 season (5-6-1, 0.857%).

He was called up from his conditioning stint and backed up Jacob Fowler in Sunday's tilt against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Fowler allowed 4 goals on 22 shots, but Montreal's comeback was foiled as both Tampa shooters scored in the shootout, pushing the Lightning one point ahead of the Canadiens in the standings.