Islanders send Semyon Varlamov to AHL on conditioning loan

Bridgeport has three games remaining on their regular season schedule, all coming within the next four days, meaning that Varlamov could play all three games and still fall within the parameters of the time and game limit of an LTIR conditioning loan of three games or six days. The Islanders have already clinched a playoff spot in the Calder Cup Playoffs and have nothing to play for in their remaining three games, which means they can play Varlamov without hindering their season.

Varlamov hasn’t played a professional game since November 24, 2024, as the netminder has missed the last 56 games of the 2024-25 season and all 63 of the 2025-26 season with a knee injury. He had undergone surgery for the injury in December 2024, and began skating in the 2025 offseason with the hope of returning this season, but there have been setbacks in that return. At this point in time, it’s unclear what has caused the delay of his return.

It was announced shortly after the 2026 trade deadline that Varlamov was not expected to return this season, so this update is a positive surprise regarding his progress. However, he will not return to the NHL this season, as the Islanders also play their final game of the regular season on Tuesday against the Carolina Hurricanes. New York will hope that his stint in the AHL will be a good starting off point for his return next season.

With Varlamov missing almost two seasons, there had been concerns about whether or not his career would continue. He’ll turn 38 years old at the end of the month, so missing as much time as he has at his age could have complicated a return at this point.

Varlamov will be entering the final year of a four-year contract with a $2.75 million cap hit next season, and will be an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2027.