EAST MEADOW, N.Y. — New York Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov would have an opportunity to start on plenty of other teams around the NHL.
Turning 35 last week, he backstopped the Islanders to consecutive Stanley Cup semifinal appearances in 2020 and 2021, finished top-five in the Vezina Trophy voting two years ago, and possesses a .917 save percentage and 2.54 goals-against average over his four years in New York.
But with the arrival of Ilya Sorokin, Varlamov was officially faced with life as a backup, starting just 22 games — the lowest since a brief appearance in his first NHL season during the 2008-09 season with the Washington Capitals.
Yet, Varlamov doesn’t want to be anywhere else, even if he started the final eight games of the regular season on the bench and didn’t appear in the Islanders’ first-round series against the Carolina Hurricanes.
“It didn’t change anything,” Varlamov said on Monday. “I want to stay with the team. I told you before that and nothing’s changed.”
The Russian netminder is an unrestricted free agent where there likely would be a few suitors willing to offer him not only starting time, but starting-caliber money, too. There might not be a big enough price tag to eclipse the “good feeling” he has about the Islanders, though, imploring that he “wants to be a part” of what comes next for the organization.
What’s next for him is the continuation of a backup role behind Sorokin — a fellow Russian superstar eight years his junior who started 60 games this season and appeared in 62 total. Only three Islanders goalies (Ron Hextall, Chris Osgood, and Rick DiPietro twice) appeared in more games as a goalie in a single season.
But it’s a responsibility he’s willing to take on with open arms given his relationship with Sorokin.
“He’s my good friend. I’ve known him for a long time,” Varlamov said of Sorokin. “We’ve had so much fun the last couple of years playing together. It’s always nice to come in a locker room and talk Russian with him. We’re on the same page on a lot of things, just joking around and talking about the game. I had a lot of fun, especially playing with him.”
Sorokin isn’t too keen on seeing Varlamov playing anywhere else, either.
“From the first day I came in, he’s helped me,” Sorokin said. “He’s a great human and a great goalie. I can learn and speak to him and I hope we stay together for more years.”
