Islanders Sign Schneider, Soshnikov, Wotherspoon

The New York Islanders announced Wednesday that goaltender Cory Schneider, forward Nikita Soshnikov and defenseman Parker Wotherspoon have signed one-year deals.

Schneider, 36, appeared in one game with the Islanders last season, making 27 saves to earn a 4-3 victory over the New Jersey Devils. The Marblehead, MA, native also appeared in 30 games with the Bridgeport Islanders of the American Hockey League, posting a 14-11-4 record with a .921 save percentage and 2.71 goals against average. Selected by the Vancouver Canucks in the first round (26th overall) of the 2004 NHL Draft, Schneider has appeared in 410 career NHL games with Vancouver, New Jersey and the Islanders and played in the 2016 NHL All-Star Game.

Soshnikov, 28, had 16 points (four goals, 12 assists) in 33 Kontinental Hockey League games last season, split between CSKA Moscow and Avangard Omsk. It was the Nizhny Tagil, Russia native’s third straight season playing in the KHL after spending the previous four seasons in North America from 2015-16 to 2018-19. Soshnikov has appeared in 87 career NHL games with the Toronto Maple Leafs and St. Louis Blues, totaling 16 points (eight goals, eight assists). He’s added 54 points (29 goals, 25 assists) in 88 career American Hockey League games with the Toronto Marlies and San Antonio Rampage.

Wotherspoon, 25, led all Bridgeport Islanders defensemen with 24 points (three goals, 21 assists) in 57 games last season. The Surrey, BC, native added an assist in six postseason games, as Bridgeport advanced to the second round of the Calder Cup Playoffs. The Islanders selected Wotherspoon in the fourth round (112th overall) of the 2015 NHL Draft. In 266 career AHL games, he’s scored 96 points (21 goals, 75 assists).

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