The presence of NY Islanders G Semyon Varlamov a necessity more than luxury

Take a moment and think about how you feel about the New York Islanders 18 days before the start of the season. Now, consider how you would feel if Semyon Varlamov wasn't on this roster, given the uncertainty of Ilya Sorokin's availability.

Having the trusted and proven Varlamov as Sorokin's backup is meant to be a luxury. Few teams can say they have two No. 1 caliber NHL goaltenders with a straight face, but the Islanders are one of them. The value in that was shown last season as Sorokin struggled for consistency, and Varlamov got hot and carried the team into the postseason down the stretch.

However, heading into this season, that luxury is showing to be a necessity. As much as GM Lou Lamoriello downplayed Sorokin's injury over the summer, days later, we learned from head coach Patrick Roy specifics that Lamoriello wasn't willing to share. Sorokin is recovering from back surgery, and while it's not being described as major, back injuries can be tricky, and there is still no timetable for when Sorokin will be back on the ice and between the pipes.

While Marcus Hogberg, who the Islanders signed this summer but hasn't played in the NHL since 2021, and local journeyman Keith Kinkaid are in camp, Varlamov's importance looms large weeks away from the start of the season. However, he insists it's business as usual right now.

“Nothing changes for me,” Varlamov said Saturday after day three of training camp in Newsday. “I’m just focusing on my own stuff, trying to get ready for this season. Playing a few games before the season will be important for me to get back into game shape."

Varlamov showed he can still be counted on to carry the load for several weeks last season. He may be asked to do that at the start of the season, much like he did at the end of last. Overall, whether Sorokin is ready by the opener or not, we could see a more consistent rotation between the two top goaltenders rather than expect Sorokin to carry a 55-60-game workload.