Islanders’ Varlamov to be ‘full participant in camp’ after recovering from knee injury

New York Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche said Wednesday that veteran goaltender Semyon Varlamov is expected to be a “full participant” in the team’s 2026 training camp after missing most of the past two seasons due to significant knee issues.

Varlamov last played in an NHL game with the Islanders on Nov. 29, 2024. In the 21 months since, the 38-year-old netminder has undergone multiple surgical procedures on his knee, followed by a significant rehabilitation process; as part of his recovery, he appeared in two AHL games on a conditioning stint with the Bridgeport Islanders late in the 2025-26 season, winning both.

Islanders reporter Stefen Rosner shared a handful of tidbits from Darche’s media availability to NHL.com on Wednesday, including the GM’s revelation that the club will be fully healthy for the start of their training camp later this month. Kyle Palmieri, Pierre Engvall, and Alexander Romanov are all expected to be ready to go, but Varlamov’s return is the top story, with Darche calling it “almost a miracle.”

“He’s doing great,” Darche said. “It’s almost a miracle — well, it’s not a miracle because he’s really put in the work. He’s been back here for at least a month. He’s on the ice four to five times a week, no medication, no pain, anything like that.

“He’s going to be a full participant in camp. He’s going to play preseason games, and hopefully he’s ready to give us a lot of games this year.”

With everyone back at full strength, the Islanders now have three goaltenders with significant NHL experience slated to attend their 2026 training camp: Varlamov, Sorokin, and recent free-agent signing Vitek Vanecek.

Varlamov originally joined the Islanders as an unrestricted free agent in 2019. After backstopping the club to a surprise Eastern Conference Final berth in 2020, Varlamov teamed up with Sorokin the following year and led the team on a second consecutive deep playoff run.

Despite gradually ceding control over the Islanders’ crease to Sorokin over the past few years, Varlamov has maintained a strong bond with his tandem partner and, health permitting, should provide valuable insurance against fatigue and injury in the 2026-27 season. Sorokin shouldered a heavy workload last year in Varlamov’s absence, most notably playing in 18 of the Islanders’ last 19 games as they made an unsuccessful bid for a playoff spot.

A first-round pick (No. 23 overall) of the Washington Capitals in the 2006 NHL Draft, Varlamov burst onto the scene with the Capitals in the late 2000s before spending the bulk of his prime with the Colorado Avalanche. Through 621 career NHL games over parts of 17 seasons with the Capitals, Avalanche, and Islanders, Varlamov has posted a 289-232-71 record, 41 shutouts, and a .916 save percentage; additionally, he’s gone 32-30 with four shutouts and a .918 save percentage in 65 playoff contests.