Metro Notes: Duclair, Hurricanes, Gudbranson, Varlamov
In a post-deadline roundup, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period indicated that the New York Islanders put forward a strong effort to trade Anthony Duclair. Pagnotta didn’t articulate if the Islanders got close, but he did say that Duclair was unwilling to waive his no-trade clause to facilitate a trade.
Although nothing came together at the deadline, Pagnotta did report that the Islanders attempted to trade Duclair earlier this year, which he used his no-trade clause to block. If New York is intent on moving on Duclair in the summer months, his trade protection will drop to a 16-team no-trade list, offering increased flexibility.
There’s no questioning why the Islanders want to move on from Duclair. The team is operating fairly close to the upper limit of the salary cap, and dealing away Duclair’s $3.5MM salary would provide some breathing room. Despite an injury-riddled 2024-25 campaign, Duclair has made up for his value this year, scoring 12 goals and 27 points in 57 games, averaging 13:19 of ice time per game.
Other updates from the Metropolitan Division:
- There are a few question marks for the Carolina Hurricanes’ lineup tomorrow night. According to team reporter Walt Ruff, forward Andrei Svechnikov wasn’t at practice this morning. Moreover, Cory Lavalette of the North State Journal reported that defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere was also absent from practice. In all fairness, each could have had a maintenance day as the Hurricanes prepare for the playoffs.
- After missing the last three games with an upper-body injury, it appears that veteran blueliner Erik Gudbranson could be close to returning for the Columbus Blue Jackets. According to team reporter Jeff Svoboda, Gudbranson was a full participant at practice this morning. Gudbranson has faced significant injury limitations over the past two seasons, playing only 25% of the potential games.
- Back in Long Island, head coach Patrick Roy provided an update (via regional reporter Brian Compton) on injured netminder Semyon Varlamov earlier today. According to Roy, Varlamov has undergone two knee replacements in the last two years, resulting in nearly two full seasons of lost playing time. Even though he is signed through next season at a $2.75MM salary, it has become more unlikely that Varlamov will continue his professional career.
Metro Notes: McMichael, Bump, Romanov, Varlamov
Earlier today, speaking on First Up, TSN’s Darren Dreger indicated that the Washington Capitals were working on an extension with forward Connor McMichael. McMichael is projected to become a restricted free agent this summer and an unrestricted free agent after the 2027-28 season.
It’s easy to see why the Capitals would want to start early on a McMichael extension. The former 25th overall pick of the 2019 NHL Draft has become a promising secondary scorer for Washington, registering 52 goals and 121 points in 221 games since the beginning of the 2023-24 campaign.
It’ll be interesting to see the length of the reported deal. The Capitals could very well conclude the Alex Ovechkin era this season, but they do have multiple pieces locked in through the 2029-30 season. If they perceive McMichael as a long-term fixture, and there’s no reason to think they don’t, then McMichael could line up with Washington on a seven-year deal, which would match with defenseman Jakob Chychrun‘s contract.
Other updates from the Metropolitan Division:
- After trading winger Bobby Brink to the Minnesota Wild earlier today, the Philadelphia Flyers may recall one of their top prospects to fill the void. According to team reporter Bill Meltzer, the Flyers are expected to recall Alex Bump for his NHL debut this weekend. A year after winning a National Championship with Western Michigan University, Bump has scored 11 goals and 26 goals in 36 AHL games throughout his first full professional season.
- Arguably winning deadline day, the New York Islanders provided a few updates on a few injured players. According to Ethan Sears of the New York Post, there is no change to defenseman Alexander Romanov‘s recovery timeline, who is expected to return in the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for veteran netminder Semyon Varlamov, who isn’t expected back this season and has likely finished his NHL career.
Islanders Notes: Lee, Tsyplakov, Varlamov
Islanders captain Anders Lee will miss one to two weeks with an upper-body injury, the team announced. That puts the latter end of his return timeline one day ahead of the team’s regular season opener against the Penguins on Oct. 9. It doesn’t look like that will be much of a concern, though. While he could be done for the preseason, the team told the beat (including Stefen Rosner of NHL.com) that the issued timeline is precautionary and that his injury is “very minor.” Lee will skate on his own tomorrow, head coach Patrick Roy said (via Andrew Gross of Newsday).
His regular-season availability isn’t a legitimate concern at this stage as a result. Starting on a strong note is a must-have to set up an encore performance to last year’s resurgent campaign from Lee, who posted a 29-25–54 scoring line in 82 games to total the second-best offensive numbers of his career. He must do so in a contract year, although the lack of extension talks thus far isn’t of much concern to either side.
The Isles also said that winger Maxim Tsyplakov is banged up and has been given a day-to-day designation, although he did skate this morning. After averaging nearly 15 minutes per game in his rookie season last year, the 27-year-old looks ticketed for a fourth-line role to start the year after the free-agent additions of Jonathan Drouin and Maxim Shabanov this summer pushed him down the depth chart. He’s factored in on a line with Casey Cizikas and Emil Heineman so far in camp after recording a 10-25–35 scoring line in 77 appearances last year.
It’s also looking more and more as though free-agent pickup David Rittich will remain safe from waivers and start the season as Ilya Sorokin‘s backup between the pipes. Semyon Varlamov‘s return from a knee surgery that’s kept him out for over nine months is still quite far off, Roy reaffirmed today (via Gross). He continues to skate on his own as he has for a few weeks now, but is not expected to join full team skates anytime soon.
Islanders Notes: Varlamov, Engvall, Duclair
While Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov resumed skating last month following a season-ending knee surgery last December, there’s still no timeline for his return to the lineup, the team told reporters, including Ethan Sears of the New York Post. Varlamov said at last season’s exit interviews that he felt he would be ready for training camp, so this amounts to yet another setback in a saga that’s left the 37-year-old out of playing action for nearly 10 months now. He only made 10 appearances last season before going under the knife, posting a 3-4-3 record and a .889 SV% with a 2.89 GAA. With his health a point of concern, the Isles inked experienced backup David Rittich to a one-year, $1MM deal when free agency opened to give Ilya Sorokin a capable No. 2 option regardless of Varlamov’s status.
Other updates as training camp gets underway on Long Island:
- Winger Pierre Engvall had offseason hip surgery that will delay his arrival at training camp. The team told Andrew Gross of Newsday that they expect him on the ice in two to three weeks, ruling him out for the preseason and threatening his availability for their season opener on the road against the Penguins on Oct. 9. Any hope he had of cracking the opening night lineup after clearing waivers twice last season has been significantly slashed, regardless of if he’s medically cleared to play. The 6’5″ lefty had an 8-7–15 scoring line in 62 appearances last season, just the second year of an oft-chastized seven-year, $21MM commitment made to him in 2023.
- As expected, winger Anthony Duclair has reported to camp and is skating today after ending last season on a leave of absence, according to Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News. He left the team in the last few days of the 2024-25 campaign after some harsh criticism from head coach Patrick Roy, although that relationship has evidently been repaired. Duclair said this week that he returned too early from the lower-body injury he sustained in his first few games as an Islander last year, saying he “basically played on one leg” after sustaining a rather significant groin tear.
Islanders’ Semyon Varlamov To Resume Skating
After indicating in mid-April that he’s hoping to be ready for training camp, it appears Semyon Varlamov‘s rehab from a knee procedure last December is tracking in the right direction. On the podcast The Sheet, hosted by Daily Faceoff journalist Jeff Marek, New York Islanders General Manager Mathieu Darche mentioned that Varlamov’s recovery is progressing well, and he is expected to resume skating soon.
Despite being the 17th season of his professional career, there’s no questioning that the 2024-25 season was Varlamov’s worst. Not due to his performance, but his knee injury limited him to only 10 games on the season. After the Islanders signed Varlamov to a four-year, $11MM contract in 2023, the idea was that they would have a consistent above-average backup netminder behind Ilya Sorokin for the foreseeable future.
In his defense, that’s largely what he’s been doing with the Islanders. Since ceding the starting job to Sorokin during the 2021-22 season, Varlamov managed a 35-34-8 record in 78 starts with a .914 SV%, 2.74 GAA, and 21.8 Goals Saved Above Average from the 2021-22 season to the 2023-24 campaign. Given that New York has struggled to score throughout this time, their strong play in the crease has been a primary reason the Islanders have qualified for the postseason in two out of the past four years.
Throughout his limited action last season, Varlamov finished with a 3-4-3 record in 10 games with a .889 SV% and 2.89 GAA. It was the lowest save percentage he’s achieved since the 2016-17 season with the Colorado Avalanche, though it was far too small a sample size to make any strong projections about his value moving forward.
Still, their offseason moves indicate that New York’s new front office isn’t wholly confident in Varlamov’s abilities, at least for the upcoming season. The Islanders signed David Rittich, the former backup goaltender for the Los Angeles Kings, to a one-year, $1MM contract on the opening day of free agency this summer.
Although he had a forgettable season last year with the Kings, his two-year stint in California was largely positive, finishing with a 29-20-5 record in 58 games with a .902 SV% and 2.55 GAA. Despite the down season in 2024-25, Rittich has only had one brief stint in the AHL since the 2017-18 season, so it stands to reason he wouldn’t put himself in a position for a demotion entering his age-33 season.
In summary, the Islanders are in a strong position regarding their goaltending, primarily due to having one of the best netminders in the game. There are other teams with much bigger issues in the crease than deciding between Varlamov and Rittich as their backup.
Mathew Barzal, Semyon Varlamov Expect To Be Ready For Training Camp
New York Islanders goalie Semyon Varlamov and forward Mat Barzal both expect to be ready for the start of next season, per Ethan Sears of the New York Post.
Varlamov has been out since November with an injury that required season-ending surgery. The 36-year-old appeared in only 10 games on the season, finishing with a 3-3-4 record and an undesirable .889 save percentage. Speaking to reporters, Varlamov noted the injury is something that he’s been dealing with for quite some time. He added that he is looking forward to returning to action next season.
If healthy, Varlamov should provide the Isles with a solid backup option behind star Ilya Sorokin. Marcus Högberg ended up appearing in 15 games this year, but didn’t make the most of his opportunity, finishing with a 2-6-3 record to pair with a .878 save percentage. Varlamov has two years remaining on his contract, paying a $2.75MM AAV. Despite a rough 2024-25 season, he’s just one year removed from providing New York with a .918 save percentage and 2.67 goals against average. If he can rediscover that type of play, the combination of him and Sorokin should help the club’s efforts to return to the playoffs.
Barzal, who suffered an injury to his knee back in early February, also expects to be 100 percent for next season. In fact, had the Isles made the playoffs, there’s a chance Barzal could have played. In 30 games on the year, he posted six goals and 20 points. The three-time All-Star is coming off of an 80-point season and has produced 190 points in the three seasons prior to this year. The 27-year-old still has six years remaining on his $9.125MM AAV deal.
Islanders Notes: Dobson, Reilly, Palmieri, DeAngelo, Varlamov
Islanders defenseman Noah Dobson is slated to become a restricted free agent this summer and is in line for a substantial raise on the $4MM he made on his bridge deal. Speaking to reporters including Ethan Sears of the New York Post, the 25-year-old declined to provide a preference between signing a short-term deal that could allow him to hit the open market in his prime or a long-term agreement that could make him the highest-paid player in team history. Dobson had a quieter year this season with 10 goals and 29 assists in 71 games but he’s only a year removed from a 70-point effort that saw him land in the top ten in Norris Trophy voting which will play a significant role in negotiations. Dobson has just this one year of RFA eligibility remaining and he is arbitration-eligible.
More from the Isles:
- After missing more than four months following being diagnosed with a heart condition, defenseman Mike Reilly told reporters including Stefan Rosner of The Hockey News he intends to play next season. The 31-year-old was limited to just 18 appearances this season between the heart issue and being scratched with some frequency and while he noted he’d like to stay with the Isles, the limited usage could suggest that he’s unlikely to be brought back. Reilly had just two assists in those 18 outings while his 15:10 ATOI was the second lowest of his career.
- Winger Kyle Palmieri wasn’t moved at the trade deadline with the belief that the two sides were close on a new deal. That hasn’t happened yet but the veteran indicated to Newsday’s Andrew Gross and other reporters that he’s hopeful a new contract can be reached. A pending UFA, the 34-year-old had 24 goals and 24 assists in 82 games this season which should put him in line for another contract close to the $5MM he received for each of the last four years.
- Pending UFA defenseman Tony DeAngelo told reporters including Gross that his intention is to remain in the NHL next season with his preferred outcome being remaining with the Isles. Signed midseason after having his KHL deal terminated, DeAngelo played a bigger role than expected, averaging over 23 minutes a night of playing time while chipping in with 19 points in 35 games. With that type of production, DeAngelo’s market might be better this time around after not getting a firm offer last summer while playing for the prorated league minimum when he joined New York.
- Goaltender Semyon Varlamov is hoping to start skating in June as he continues his recovery from a lower-body injury that kept him out of the lineup since late November, Gross relays. The 36-year-old posted a 2.89 GAA with a .889 SV% in just ten starts this season and still has two years left on his contract that carries a $2.75MM cap charge.
Islanders’ Semyon Varlamov Likely Out For Season, Offseason Priorities Forming
New York Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello sat down with media for an in-depth look at the team’s current state after the Trade Deadline and where he plans to head this summer. Among the biggest news was that top backup goaltender Semyon Varlamov will likely miss the remainder of the 2024-25 season with his lower-body injury, captured by Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News.
Varlamov has been out of the lineup since late November, but the root of his injury wasn’t entirely clear. He played through a full 61 minutes of action in what could be his last game of the season – an 5-4 overtime loss to the Washington Capitals on November 29th. He’s been on the shelf ever since, while the Islanders have turned towards Marcus Hogberg and Jakub Skarek to fill backup minutes behind star starter Ilya Sorokin.
Lamoriello went on to speak in depth about the team’s plans for veterans Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri, sharing that their goal was to sign both to extensions beyond this season. That plan went awry with Nelson, who was ultimately flipped to the Colorado Avalanche for top prospect Calum Ritchie and draft capital – but Lamoriello emphasized that the team still hopes to bring Palmieri back into the fold, per Newsday’s Andrew Gross. In the same breath, Lamoriello also pointed out that the Islanders need to get younger. They currently carry the 10th-oldest lineup in the NHL, with an average age of 28.96. Of the nine teams older than them, the Pittsburgh Penguins are the only team in shakier playoff standing than the Wild Card-bound Islanders.
The effort to get younger will mean plenty of change this summer, Lamoriello added. He told Gross that the term “retool” is a relatively new juxtaposition to the long-term idea of a “rebuild”. The Islanders will attempt to stick in the former camp this summer, refreshing the lineup with top prospects and new faces while trimming down on their veteran presence. That could be a challenge if keeping players like Palmieri – a 34-year-old with 20 goals and 41 points in 62 games this season – is at the top of the docket. New York likely won’t want to part with franchise cornerstone Anders Lee, or productive veterans like Bo Horvat and Mathew Barzal – which could make top defenders like Noah Dobson, Ryan Pulock, and Adam Pelech the focus of any large-scale moves.
The Boston Bruins received top prospect Fraser Minten and a first-round draft pick, among other assets, for top-pair defensive defenseman Brandon Carlo at the Deadline. That price was likely hiked up in a seller’s market, but finding a comparable deal could be the start of New York’s efforts to retool. The Islanders will also have to make sure they’re elevating newly-acquired top prospects to important roles as soon as they can with the youth-movement in mind – an effort they’re already headed towards by clearing Nelson’s role for Ritchie in their recent swap.
New York finds themselves three points behind the Eastern Conference’s second Wild Card spot with 20 games left in their season. It’s a hotly contested race, with at least six teams within striking distance of a playoff spot. Moving out Nelson, who was previously tied for the team lead in scoring with 43 points, will make achieving that postseason berth a tough feat. So will losing Varlamov, who had a career-low .889 save percentage this season but posted a far more impressive .917 in his last four seasons with the Islanders. Those absences will require improved performances from the likes of Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Hogberg to keep New York competitive.
The Islanders will have six unrestricted free agents and seven restricted free agents to re-sign when their season ends. Among the pending free agents is top-performing rookie Maxim Tsyplakov, top defenders Dobson and Alexander Romanov, and recent acquisitions Tony DeAngelo, Scott Perunovich, and Adam Boqvist. With only three contracts north of $7MM on their books, the Islanders should have plenty of money to work with this summer – a technical $28.9MM per PuckPedia. With his recent comments, it seems veteran GM Lamoriello is set to use that money to its fullest this summer – in an attempt to rejuvenate an Islanders lineup that’s fallen behind the playoff wave this season.
Islanders Issue Updates On Multiple Long-Term Injuries
New York Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello met with the media on Saturday morning to provide updates on the team’s endless injury list, captured by NHL.com’s Rachel Luscher. Most notably, Lamoriello shared that backup goaltender Semyon Varlamov has stopped skating on his own or taking shots after a setback in his lower-body injury. Lamoriello dubbed Varlamov as now out indefinitely and referred to his recovery as “a total rehab situation”.
Varlamov has been out of the lineup for over two months but very little about his injury has come to the surface. His last appearance was an overtime loss to the Washington Capitals on November 29th where Varlamov – despite allowing five goals – didn’t seem to suffer a noticeable injury. But he was pulled from skating the following morning, moved to injured reserve on December 14th, then moved to long-term injured reserve five days later. He seemed to be on the rebound when the new year rolled around, returning to skating and individual drills on January 2nd. But after a month of light action, Varlamov still needs more time to recover. He’ll head back to the shelf, forcing the Islanders to continue searching for a backup.
Unfortunately, that search will be made significantly tougher by an injury to Varlamov’s fill-in, Marcus Hogberg, who Lamoriello shared will miss the next four weeks with an upper-body injury. Hogberg was originally injured on January 26th and moved to injured reserve the following day. He’ll now sit out through the two-week break 4-Nations Face-Off from February 9th to February 22nd. Hogberg was in the midst of a small resurgence before going down with injury. He made his return to North American pros with a two-way deal with the Islanders this summer, after spending the last three seasons starting for Linkopings HC of Sweden’s SHL. Hogberg started the year with middling numbers in the AHL – a 2-5-3 record and .898 save percentage in 11 games – but found his momentum in the wake of Varlamov’s injury.
Starter Ilya Sorokin has been New York’s bell-cow, but in seven games relieving him, Hogberg has managed a dazzling, team-leading .947 save percentage. It’s the highest save percentage of his North American career, ignoring sample size. But now, Hogberg will join Varlamov on the absentee list – and force the Islanders to find yet another replacement. After succeeding him as AHL starter, Jakub Skarek has also filled Hogberg’s role of NHL backup in light of his injury. Skarek hasn’t yet made his NHL debut, but he nonetheless seems cushy at the top flight – with Henrik Tikkanen and Hunter Miska both posting save percentages below .840 in their own elevated, minor-league roles.
Moving out of the net, Lamoriello also shared that the team is still unsure when defenseman Mike Reilly will return after undergoing a heart procedure in November. Reilly has been skating on his own since December 14th – just over a month after his surgery – but hasn’t progressed since then. Lamoriello added that Reilly’s situation will be dictated by his doctors. The 31-year-old defenseman is in his second season with the Islanders. He scored a career-high 24 points in 59 games last season, serving as an impactful third-pair option for a deprived Islanders defense. He seemed headed for a cushier role this year, but struggled to manage any scoring through the first 11 games of the season – then fell to injury. Reilly seems to have a winding recovery ahead of him, which could limit his chance to earn another deal when his $1.25MM cap hit expires this summer.
Ending on a positive note, top Islanders defensemen Noah Dobson and Ryan Pulock are both expected to return to skating drills during the 4-Nations break, per Andrew Gross of Newsday Sports. Dobson has missed the Islanders’ last four games and earned a spot on long-term injured reserve with a lower-body injury; while Pulock has missed two games and been placed on standard IR with an upper-body injury. The pair of absences have driven the Islanders to acquire both Scott Perunovich and Adam Boqvist via trade and waivers respectively. This news will lock the new acquisitions into the lineup until the two-week break – but hopefully the blue-line can return to full-health soon after that.
Semyon Varlamov To Practice This Week
Stefen Rosner of NHL.com is reporting that New York Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov is expected to return to team practice at some point this week. The update comes from Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello and is a bit of good news after the Islanders had a goaltending scare on Saturday when starter Ilya Sorokin fell ill, and the team had to start third-stringer goaltender Marcus Hogberg in net and recall Jakub Skarek on an emergency basis.
The situation ended up favorably, as Hogberg started last night against Utah and picked up the win by stopping 21 of 22 shots. Hogberg has given the Islanders some incredible play in Varlamov’s absence, posting a .950 save percentage and a goals saved above expected of 5.0 (as per Money Puck). However, the Islanders can’t rely on a third-string netminder long-term, and Varlamov’s return will represent an upgrade.
With the shuffling of goaltenders, the Islanders AHL affiliate in Bridgeport added to their goaltending depth by signing Hunter Miska to an AHL deal (as per Rosner). The 29-year-old had been playing in the KHL this season with Dynamo Moscow, registering a .908 save percentage and a 2.81 goals-against average in 14 games. The North Branch, Minnesota native hasn’t played in North America since the 2021-22 seasons and has spent much of his professional career in the AHL while he was a member of the Colorado Eagles. Miska does have six games of NHL experience, five of which were with the Avalanche and one with the Arizona Coyotes.