Semyon Varlamov vows to be back next season for NY Islanders after knee surgery

As good as Marcus Hogberg was in his early opportunities with the New York Islanders this season, the final weeks of the season illustrated the value and necessity of having Semyon Varlamov as the team's backup goaltender. The only question was whether Varly would be healthy enough to return next season after suffering a season-ending lower-body injury in November.

On Saturday's clean-out day, Varlamov provided a positive and encouraging update for those worried about where the Isles would go for a back-up in off-season if the 36-year-old wasn't going to be ready. “I expect to be ready for next season,” Varlamov said on Clean Out Day. “Everything is going well with rehab and physiotherapy. The main focus now is finishing rehab, having a good summer of training, and being ready for camp. That’s the goal.”

Varlamov didn't play after Nov. 29th and appeared in only 10 games one season after the Isles rode his hot play into the postseason. He went 3-4-3 with a 2.89 GAA and .889 save percentage. There was hope that his stay on the injured list would be short, but he either reaggravated his injury or was unable to reach 100% while recovering. “It’s just taking longer this time,” he said. “Sometimes recovery takes a month, sometimes much longer. That’s the case for me right now."

In his absence, Ilya Sorokin was forced to carry a heavier-than-expected workload and appeared in 61 games this season. He finished with a 30-24-6 record, a 2.71 GAA, and a .907 save percentage. The hope is that the game distribution will be more balanced next season with a healthy Varlamov and that's the veteran goaltender's goal as well. “It’s not easy going through this after putting in good work last summer,” he said. “I tried to come back after the procedure, but I couldn’t do it. It’s not the first time I’ve faced something like this. We’ve got a good plan moving forward.”

That plan involves returning to the ice in June and being ready to go by training camp.