This is Semyon Varlamov's net on opening night.
Ilya Sorokin will back up Varlamov in Thursday night's game against Utah Hockey Club and will be ready to play if needed, but Sorokin will miss most of the preseason and training camp after undergoing offseason hip surgery. Because of this, the Islanders have no intention of rushing him out.
Sorokin has participated fully in practice recently, and the organization has no immediate plans to call up third-team netminder Marcus Hogberg. This indicates that Sorokin is healthy and will likely make his debut soon, but no concrete plans have been announced at this time.
So playing Varlamov on Thursday is more likely a reflection of the organization's confidence in him and a desire to avoid rushing Sorokin, rather than any reason to worry about Sorokin's position.
And given how Varlamov finished last season, there's no need to worry if he ends up taking on a bigger workload to start this season.
Varlamov took over the No. 1 duties late last season as Sorokin struggled down the stretch and was a big factor in getting the Islanders over the line and into the playoffs.
Varlamov posted an 8-1-1 record with a save percentage of .930 from March to April. Ironically, Sorokin had a similar performance the season before when he was a Vezina Trophy finalist.
Longer term, all eyes will be on whether the 29-year-old Sorokin, who is on the first of an eight-year contract, can regain his form after surgery and the disappointing season that preceded it.
The Islanders would be fine if Varlamov takes most of the starts early in the season, but the impact of Sorokin playing to his full potential will be enormous.
He was the biggest reason the team made the playoffs in 2023, and the Islanders responded by investing $66 million to keep him until 2032.
That investment could quickly prove to be a good one if Sorokin returns to the level he was two seasons ago.
But Islanders will wait and see if that's true early this year.
The Islanders didn't change any lines or pairings in their final practice before the start of the season, playing essentially the same style as last week.
Thursday's game at UBS Arena will be the franchise's first road game after Utah Hockey Club won its first game against the Blackhawks 5-2 on Tuesday.
