Semyon Varlamov is back in camp, and for the veteran goalie, that alone says plenty.
The 38-year-old said Thursday that he’s finally feeling like himself again after a long recovery from the knee injury he sustained on Nov. 29, 2024. His path back included double partial knee replacements and a rehab process that stretched through much of 22 months before he could take part as a regular in NHL Training Camp.
“It’s a long process I had to go through physically and mentally,” Varlamov said. “It was a lot of up and downs, a lot of setbacks. I expected that I would be back sooner, but it's okay… I came back and I'm finally feeling good, and I'm feeling 100% on the first day of Training camp, so I'm very excited and looking forward to play again.”
For Varlamov, who has played 621 games, the toughest part wasn’t just the work itself. It was not knowing when, or even if, the grind would end on a clear timeline. He said the surgeries he went through were unusual for a pro hockey player, which meant there was no standard roadmap to follow and no easy way to measure progress.
“I was just telling myself just take it one day at the time, and then wake up next morning and do it again,” Varlamov said. “We didn't really know how long it will take to finish the rehab and feel 100% because the type of surgeries I've done.
People are doing it, but not professional hockey players to try to come back [to play]. That was kind of like a crazy idea, a very risky idea, but I took a risk and then had to do a lot of rehab, and then just had to be very, very patient.”
In Other News...
Pete DeBoer Is Pushing An Islanders Identity Change That Had To Happen
Pete DeBoers first full season behind the Islanders bench is shaping up as a course correction built on clarity. After a season in which the defensive end needed to look a lot cleaner, the message has been simple so far: keep the game organized, make the reads easier and lean into the kind of structure that lets players know exactly what is expected of them. Bo Horvat and Brayden Schenn have both noted how straightforward DeBoer has been, which matters for a team trying to establish a new standard rather than just patch over old problems.
The bigger challenge is making that identity show up everywhere else on the ice, not just in the defensive zone. The Islanders are also looking to rework their breakouts, improve how they handle the neutral zone and get more out of the power play, all while trying to make the team harder to play against in the areas that decide games. For a roster that needs its details sharpened, the change is less about flash than about habits, and that is exactly why it feels overdue. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Camp Opens With One Big Question About Key Veterans
The Islanders opened 2026-27 training camp with a familiar mix of optimism and uncertainty, as several key veterans showed up in various stages of recovery. Semyon Varlamov is back on the ice after a lengthy rehab, Alex Romanov is said to be in strong shape, and Pierre Engvall has returned after hip and ankle procedures, giving the club a better sense of its depth as the preseason opener against the New Jersey Devils approaches.
Mathew Barzal is the name that hangs over the first few days of camp, even as the Islanders take a cautious approach with his latest injury issue. The team is treating the situation carefully, which leaves his immediate availability for the opener very much up in the air, and it adds another layer of intrigue to a camp that already feels like a test of how quickly this group can get healthy and settled. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Prospects Suddenly Have A Real Opening Night Opportunity
Training camp is giving the Devils a real chance to sort through a few young players before the roster gets locked in for opening night, and three prospects have quickly become names to watch. Amadeus Lombardi, Anton Silaev and Nico Daws are all in the mix as New Jersey works through its final decisions, with the preseason set to open Sept. 20 against the Islanders.
For New York, it is another early reminder that the teams around it are already treating these exhibition games like auditions with consequences. The Devils still have some sorting to do, but the camp chatter has made clear that this is not just about filling out the preseason lineup, and one of the more interesting roster battles is unfolding in goal, where Daws could force his way into a much bigger role if the opportunity stays open. [Read more 🡒]