Semyon Varlamov Returns to Islanders After 676-Day Absence

Six hundred and seventy-six days after his last start, Semyon Varlamov returned to the ice for the New York Islanders on Tuesday night. The goaltender, who underwent two partial knee replacements, made his first regular-season start since an injury that had sidelined him for nearly two years.

Varlamov's last appearance was a forgettable overtime loss in Washington. He continued to play in subsequent games, backing up Ilya Sorokin the next day and sitting on the bench for another overtime loss three days later, before the team began holding him out due to a lower-body injury. The subsequent diagnoses and surgeries made his return to professional play a significant question.

Despite the nearly two-year layoff and extensive rehabilitation, Varlamov expressed optimism after the Islanders' 5-2 loss to the Rangers at Madison Square Garden. "Everything feels great. Everything feels 100 percent," Varlamov said. "Nothing holds me back, which is great news."

While Varlamov allowed three goals on 22 shots before the Rangers scored twice into an empty net, his return itself was a significant milestone. He admitted to having numerous thoughts running through his head before the game, a natural consequence of a long absence. "When you haven’t played a game for a while, of course, so many thoughts going through your head," he stated.

The journey back from two partial knee replacements is exceptionally rare in major professional sports. The New York Post was unable to find other instances of athletes in the top four U.S. professional leagues returning from such procedures. Dustin Pedroia, a former MLB MVP, underwent similar surgeries and concluded he would never play again due to fear of re-injury.

Pedroia, however, expressed support for Varlamov's comeback. "Semyon will be fine!" Pedroia wrote in a text to The Post. "With the partial replacement, the big concern is pounding from impact like jogging or running. Skating is actually good for the joints cause it builds quad muscles and legs fire to keep pressure off the joint! And him being a goaltender shouldn’t be an issue at all! This is cool to see, I will be pulling for him!!!"

Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche noted that team doctors were impressed by Varlamov's condition during annual physicals. The team plans for Varlamov to start at least 30 games this season, serving as a backup to Ilya Sorokin. Teammate Kyle Palmieri, who rehabbed alongside Varlamov, shared his enthusiasm for his return. "As his teammate, his friend, it’s just so awesome to see," Palmieri said. "I had a front row seat to watch him come in and prepare his body and just, day in and day out, I think he just found a way to enjoy that process. Take it day by day and here he is. It’s so cool to be a part of it, and as a group and as a room, we’re thrilled to have him back."