Semyon Varlamov is set to make his first NHL start and appearance since Nov. 29, 2024 when the New York Islanders face the New York Rangers on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden. The 38-year-old goalie is coming back after each of his knees were partially replaced, a comeback that has stretched far longer than a normal recovery and now reaches a game that will put him back in the crease against one of his most familiar opponents.
That is why Islanders Vs Rangers is drawing attention now. Varlamov has a 10-3-1 record at Madison Square Garden, with a 2.29 goals-against average, a.928 save percentage and four shutouts in 14 games, including a 5-1-0 mark with a 1.55 GAA in six games there with the Islanders. All four of those shutouts came with New York, and Tuesday offers him a chance to add another appearance to a career that is believed to be unique in NHL history because he is restarting after double partial knee replacement surgeries.
He did not get here by skipping steps. Varlamov played two games in April with Bridgeport of the American Hockey League, won both and allowed three goals, finishing with a.939 save percentage. He also played twice in the preseason and made 10 saves in relief of Ilya Sorokin against the Rangers on Sept. 22, a small but useful sign that his body could handle the pace again. Last month, he said he was not mentally ready to retire, even while he knew the risk he was taking trying to come back.
The Islanders also needed a path that would not overload Sorokin. Sorokin started the first two games of the season, and New York went 1-1-0 in those outings before he made 37 saves in Saturday's 6-0 win against the New Jersey Devils. Peter DeBoer said he did not want to overplay Sorokin, but also did not want him sitting for two or three weeks and going in cold. There is no perfect spot for Varlamov's return, DeBoer said, only the one that fits the schedule and the goalie workload the team is trying to manage.
That leaves Tuesday as the test that matters. Varlamov's return has already become a rare story in the NHL; now the next question is whether the 38-year-old can turn the comeback into a clean start against the Rangers and give the Islanders the second half of the tandem they believe they have been waiting for.
