Islanders assign Semyon Varlamov to Bridgeport on conditioning loan

Semyon Varlamov’s comeback now runs through Bridgeport, and this is not a developmental courtesy. After two knee replacement surgeries and a long stretch away from game action, the New York Islanders sent the 37-year-old goalie to the Bridgeport Islanders on an LTIR conditioning loan, a controlled step meant to see whether his body can handle live work again.

The move matters because Varlamov has not played since Nov. 29, 2024, when he took an overtime loss against the Washington Capitals. He was later listed day-to-day with a lower-body injury, but the length of the absence only became clear when Patrick Roy revealed in March that Varlamov had undergone two knee replacement surgeries. Mathieu Darche also said at that point that Varlamov was not expected back this season.

Varlamov had recently returned to practice with the Islanders for the first time since the injury, and club reporting said he had been skating on his own daily. That set up the conditioning loan, which gives him a chance to get into game shape without the pressure of an NHL return before he is ready. If he appears for Bridgeport, it will be his first game action of any kind in more than a year.

Bridgeport will have a real job here, too. The club had already clinched a playoff spot and had three regular-season games remaining when the assignment was announced, so Varlamov was joining a team that could give him meaningful reps right away. That is exactly what an LTIR conditioning stint is supposed to provide: not a ceremonial lap, but live pucks, in-game reads and a test of whether the knees can survive the demands that practice cannot replicate.

For the Islanders, the stakes go beyond one rehab assignment. Varlamov has been Ilya Sorokin’s longtime backup, and New York brought in David Rittich as veteran insurance after Varlamov’s injury. If Varlamov can make it through Bridgeport healthy, the Islanders would get a familiar presence back for the stretch run and, with one year left on his four-year, $11 million contract, some clarity on a position that has been under pressure all season.

The numbers explain why the club is being careful. Varlamov played only 10 NHL games in 2024-25 and went 3-4-3 with a 2.89 goals-against average and a .889 save percentage. Across 173 appearances with the Islanders, he has a 76-63-21 record, a 2.57 GAA, a .916 save percentage and 16 shutouts. That is the résumé of a goalie who has earned a real look, not a rushed one.