It is not as simple as being reduced to what Semyon Varlamov wants, but though the Islanders goaltender’s contract is set to expire at the end of this season and his role has been reduced to backin…
It is not as simple as being reduced to what Semyon Varlamov wants, but though the Islanders goaltender’s contract is set to expire at the end of this season and his role has been reduced to backing up Ilya Sorokin, he still wants to remain with the team.
Saturday night, he was the most important player on the ice for the Islanders. He turned away William Carrier’s penalty shot in overtime and made a highlight-reel paddle save on Reilly Smith in the second period.“I thought he was focused, square, he was fresh,” coach Lane Lambert said. “And he certainly played a fantastic game.
“I’ve been in the NHL for a long time. I’ve seen pretty much everything,” he said. “This is just another situation for me, another year in my career when I’m gonna become a free agent or maybe I’m not [if an extension gets done], I don’t know. You don’t know what’s gonna happen tomorrow, right? But of course I’m aware after this year, I’m gonna become a free agent and then I’m gonna be 35 years old. And then, so we’ll see.
Since Varlamov returned from injury early this month, the difference between him and Sorokin has become more stark. Varlamov made just four starts in January, and Wednesday at Ottawa was the first time he truly played as he had in the past, turning aside 36 of 38 shots in a 2-1 loss. It’s a different situation for a goaltender who has been an NHL starter just about every season for the last decade, a span that includes a 2013-14 season, in which he was in net 60 times for the Avalanche.
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