Semyon Varlamov plays in his first professional game since a 2024 injury with the NY Islanders

It's been 503 days since we've seen Semyon Varlamov in an NHL game. But last night, after the NY Islanders lent the 37-year-old goaltender to the Bridgeport Islanders, Varlamov saw his first game action in over a year and a half.

Originally ruled out with a lower-body injury in late 2024, we later learned Varlamov was dealing with a knee issue. Mathieu Darche briefly spoke about Varlamov yesterday, affirming he had issues with both knees but wouldn't go into further detail. But in March, Patrick Roy stated that the Russian netminder had undergone double knee replacement surgery.

Varlamov makes his return

“Two knee replacements? I mean, come on," Roy said. "That’s not an easy thing for a goaltender, but he’s been here a lot, and he’s been doing everything the right way.”

Varly made his first AHL appearance last night since the 2010-11 season. He was sent down for a conditioning stint, earning the win against the Hartford Wolfpack, turning aside 20 of 22 shots.

In recent weeks, Varlamov has been seen on the ice with his teammates, and perhaps this conditioning stint is to see if he can still withstand the rigors of being a professional goaltender.

With Varlamov's status uncertain before the start of the 2025-26 season, the Islanders signed David Rittich to a one-year deal, hinting that he may not be healthy enough to play this season. While Rittich got off to a hot start, he fluttered in the second half of the season.

One of the best Islanders netminders in the post-dynasty era, Varlamov has been an integral part of this organization since signing as a free agent in 2019.

“He’s Iron Man,” Ilya Sorokin said. “Totally. He’s a big professional. He works hard. Every day that I see on the rink is positive. A good mind. Can’t wait for when I see him in a game.”

With his future still in limbo, we'll see what comes of the Islanders' backup goalie position this summer. Regardless of what his future holds, Varlamov has already cemented his position in Islanders' lore.

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