It’s Semyon Varlamov’s net on opening night.
Though Ilya Sorokin will back up Varlamov against the Utah Hockey Club on Thursday night and is ready to play if needed, the Islanders are not rushing him into action with Sorokin having missed the preseason and much of training camp after offseason back surgery.
Sorokin has been a full participant in practices lately and the organization has no immediate plans to call up third-string netminder Marcus Hogberg — a sign that Sorokin is healthy and likely will make his debut soon, though no hard plan has been announced as of yet.
Playing Varlamov on Thursday, then, is likely a reflection of the organization’s confidence in him and wanting to avoid rushing Sorokin rather than any reason to worry about Sorokin’s status.
And after the way Varlamov finished last season, there is no reason to be worried if he ends up taking a greater share of the workload to start this season.
With Sorokin struggling down the stretch, Varlamov took over No. 1 duties late last season and was a major factor in the Islanders dragging themselves over the line into the playoffs.
Varlamov went 8-1-1 between March and April with a .930 save percentage — the sort of run, ironically, that Sorokin had put together the season prior, when he was a finalist for the Vezina Trophy.
Longer term, the spotlight is on whether the 29-year-old Sorokin — in the first of an eight-year contract — can recover his form following both the surgery and the disappointing season that preceded it.
The Islanders will be just fine if Varlamov takes the majority of starts early in the season, but the impact of Sorokin playing to his full potential would be immense.
On the ice from Long Island
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He was the single biggest reason the team made the playoffs at all in 2023, and the Islanders responded by investing $66 million to keep him through 2032.
If Sorokin gets back to his level of two seasons ago, that investment will be proven a good one in short order.
But the Islanders will be holding their breath early in the year as they wait and see whether that is the case.
The Islanders did not change any of their lines or pairs in their final practice before opening the season, going with the same look as they have for essentially the last week.
After the Utah Hockey Club won its inaugural game 5-2 over the Blackhawks on Tuesday, Thursday’s game at UBS Arena will mark the franchise’s first ever road game.
