Semyon Varlamov on the Mend for Islanders
Semyon Varlamov is looking forward to rejoining the Islanders and seems to be making good progress after dealing with significant knee problems that kept him out for much of the last two seasons.
“As of now, ‘Varley’ is actually on the ice. He mentioned that his knee feels the best it has in four or five years,” general manager Mathieu Darche shared during a Zoom call on Saturday following the NHL Draft. “I joked with him about feeling like I’m 25, but he quickly corrected me, saying he’s actually 26. We’re really optimistic about him playing in the AHL. If he’s healthy, he’s set to play.”
The expectation is that Varlamov will take on a backup role to Ilya Sorokin next season, which is a move Dulce is hopeful about.
The team is also likely to add another goaltender for support. David Rittich, the previous season’s backup and an unrestricted free agent, is one potential candidate.
“We definitely need to sign another goalie for insurance,” Darche explained. “Ideally, we want someone who can give us 25 to 30 starts. If all goes well, he could be a fantastic addition. He’s under contract and feeling great. If he stays healthy, he’ll be part of our reserves next year.”
Varlamov, who is now 38, last played for the Islanders on November 29, 2024. By the end of that season, it came to light that he had undergone two knee replacement surgeries. He did manage to play a couple of games with the AHL affiliate Bridgeport during a conditioning loan, marking his return after an absence of over 500 days.
Darche added that he doesn’t plan on issuing a qualifying offer to restricted free agent defenseman Adam Boqvist. He wants to give prospect Isaiah George a shot at making the NHL, potentially as a seventh defenseman or in a bigger role.
“He may even start in the top six,” Darche noted. “We’re looking for competition here. Maybe he’ll push someone out of the lineup. We have players who can handle both sides, giving us some flexibility.”
Coach Darche certainly emphasized his belief that the Islanders need a strong defensive lineup. They seized their first-round pick to select defenseman Marte Gustafsson, taking two more defensemen with their first two selections. Gustafsson was picked 13th overall, while American Lincoln Kuehne (109th) and Czech Vladimir Dravecky (141st) were selected later. This move is crucial as the team lacks depth on the right flank.
The Islanders rounded off their draft by selecting Russian center Artyom Machuk in the sixth round (No. 173) and American right winger Robert Cowan in the seventh round (No. 205).
With no second- or third-round picks available, the success of this draft might depend on how Gustafsson develops—he’s a big, physical 18-year-old defenseman slated to bring his skills back to HV71 in Sweden’s top professional league next season.
Additionally, the Islanders have acquired defenseman Ryan Healy from the Wild for future considerations, as confirmed by the team. Healy, 22, was a fourth-round pick in 2022 and has spent the last four seasons playing at Harvard.
