EAST MEADOW, N.Y. — Semyon Varlamov was back in the Islanders’ crease on the opening day of camp Thursday, a notable sight after the 38-year-old goaltender underwent partial knee replacements on both legs and had not appeared in an NHL game since Nov. 29, 2024.
After 17 NHL seasons, 621 regular-season appearances and a rehab path that would have been enough to end most careers, Varlamov has come to camp intent on reclaiming a role behind Ilya Sorokin, a Vezina Trophy finalist. He said retirement crossed his mind during difficult stretches, but he could not bring himself to call it a career.
“Mentally, I wasn’t ready to retire,” Varlamov said. “There were days when things weren’t going well and I wondered whether this could be it, whether I could come back. But I feel healthy now, 100 percent on the first day of camp, and I’m excited to play again.”
Varlamov’s case is an unusual one even in an era when knee-replacement procedures have become more common. Returning from that surgery as a professional athlete is rare; doing it as an NHL goaltender, with the repeated lateral movement and strain the position demands, is a much different challenge. He acknowledged that continuing his career involved a major gamble.
“It was a risky decision,” he said. “People have these procedures, but I hadn’t seen professional hockey players come back from what I had done. Still, I decided to take that chance.”
The veteran gave the Islanders a meaningful answer late last season when he joined their American Hockey League affiliate in Bridgeport for two games. He won both outings, surrendering three goals total and posting a .939 save percentage. The first appearance felt rusty, Varlamov said, but he completed the full game and liked the way his body responded. By the second game, at Hershey, he believed he was moving and playing like himself again through all three periods.
Those starts were more than a tune-up. Varlamov viewed them as his audition for the new management group and as the necessary test of whether his knees could withstand actual game pressure rather than controlled practice work. He said he does not believe he would have received this camp opportunity without playing those two games.
A veteran crease option returns
New Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche said the early reports from the ice have been encouraging. Darche has asked those familiar with Varlamov’s game whether the goalie looks any different, and was told the veteran is moving well and appears much the same as before the surgeries.
“He could have simply finished out the final two years of his contract after an excellent career,” Darche said. “Instead, he has put in the work, feels good and has come back. It is almost inspiring for the group. Now camp raises the level, and preseason games raise it again, so we have to see how he responds. But at the moment, everything is positive.”
Varlamov enters the final season of his four-year contract while competing with Vitek Vanecek for the backup assignment. Darche has said he would like to get Varlamov into 25 to 30 games if the comeback holds up, though the goalie is refusing to measure his season in starts before the schedule even begins.
“I’m taking it day by day,” Varlamov said. “My focus is on being a better teammate and being the best version of myself that day. I can control today, not what might happen in two or three weeks. We have good goalies here, and I don’t control when I play or how often I play.”
For the Islanders, a healthy Varlamov would add an experienced partner for Sorokin. Since arriving in the League with Washington in 2008, Varlamov has gone 289-232-71 with a 2.65 goals-against average, .916 save percentage and 41 shutouts across 621 regular-season games. His postseason work includes a 32-30 record, 2.44 GAA, .918 save percentage and four shutouts in 65 playoff games. He helped New York reach the third round in both 2020 and 2021.
New captain Bo Horvat said Varlamov’s return has already registered around the room. Horvat said the netminder has looked strong since his arrival on Long Island and has continued to improve during practices, adding that he is happy for Varlamov and his family after the difficult road back.
The Islanders open a four-game preseason slate Sunday against the New Jersey Devils. Their regular-season schedule begins Sept. 30 in Toronto against the Maple Leafs, with Varlamov’s workload still to be determined and his comeback now moving from summer training into the daily grind of camp.
