New York Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche says Semyon Varlamov is on track to be a “full participant” in training camp after a long, grinding comeback from major knee problems.
That’s a significant turn for the veteran goalie, who has been sidelined for most of the past two seasons. Varlamov last appeared in an NHL game for the Islanders on Nov.
29, 2024. Since then, the 38-year-old has gone through multiple knee surgeries and a lengthy rehab process.
As part of that recovery, he also made a brief conditioning stop with the Bridgeport Islanders late in the 2025-26 season, and he won both of his AHL appearances.
Darche said Wednesday that the Islanders expect to open camp later this month with the roster healthy, and he singled out Varlamov’s progress as the most notable development. Kyle Palmieri, Pierre Engvall, and Alexander Romanov are also expected to be ready.
“He’s doing great,” Darche said. “It’s almost a miracle - well, it’s not a miracle because he’s really put in the work.
He’s been back here for at least a month. He’s on the ice four to five times a week, no medication, no pain, anything like that.
“He’s going to be a full participant in camp. He’s going to play preseason games, and hopefully he’s ready to give us a lot of games this year.”
If Varlamov is indeed back in the mix, the Islanders will head into their 2026 training camp with three goaltenders who have real NHL mileage: Varlamov, Ilya Sorokin, and free-agent addition Vitek Vanecek.
Varlamov has been with the Islanders since signing as an unrestricted free agent in 2019. He helped carry the club to a surprising Eastern Conference Final appearance in 2020, then paired with Sorokin for another deep playoff run the next year.
Even as Sorokin gradually took over more of the workload, Varlamov remained an important presence in the room and a trusted partner in the crease. His health matters even more now after Sorokin was leaned on heavily last season in Varlamov’s absence, including 18 of the Islanders’ final 19 games during their failed push for a playoff spot.
A first-round pick by Washington at No. 23 overall in the 2006 NHL Draft, Varlamov first made his name with the Capitals before spending most of his prime with the Colorado Avalanche. In 621 career NHL games across 17 seasons with Washington, Colorado, and the Islanders, he has a 289-232-71 record, 41 shutouts, and a .916 save percentage. In 65 playoff games, he is 32-30 with four shutouts and a .918 save percentage.
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