Overview
- Varlamov made his first NHL regular-season start in 676 days on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden after two partial knee replacements, and the Islanders lost to the Rangers 5–2.
- Islanders coach Pete DeBoer announced Varlamov would start the game, confirming the veteran’s readiness after a conditioning stint with AHL Bridgeport and preseason appearances.
- The comeback is medically notable because partial knee replacement is rare for elite athletes and Islanders medical staff and management publicly said they were surprised and impressed by his recovery.
- Team leaders expect Varlamov to be a substantive part of a two-goalie rotation with Ilya Sorokin this season, with management saying about 25–30 quality starts from Varlamov are needed for a realistic playoff push.
- Varlamov is in the final year of a four-year deal with a $2.75 million cap hit and will be an unrestricted free agent in summer 2027, a status that will shape short-term performance pressure and longer-term roster decisions.