Islanders’ Semyon Varlamov: I feel ‘100 percent’ and am ready to go

Semyon Varlamov will soon beryllium back.

The Islanders’ netminder took portion successful signifier connected Thursday, past told the media helium feels “100 percent,” and tin play arsenic soon arsenic he’s called upon.

Whether that volition beryllium connected Saturday day against the Predators remains unclear — manager Barry Trotz said helium would determine the starter connected Friday — but each that’s near present is for Varlamov to formally travel disconnected injured reserve and onto the progressive roster.

“I’m feeling large close now,” Varlamov said aft practice. “I’m ready, acceptable to go. Ready to play a game.”

Varlamov, who declined to disclose the quality of his injury, said helium picked it up past twelvemonth during the playoffs. It’s not a superior injury, Trotz said, but a lingering one. The extremity was primitively to beryllium acceptable for grooming camp, but that didn’t happen.

“First clip successful my NHL vocation I missed the full camp, it ne'er happened to maine before,” Varlamov said. “But things happen. Of people it wasn’t a cleanable concern for me.”

Semyon VarlamovNHLI via Getty Images

He traveled with the squad during the archetypal limb of its season-opening 13-game roadworthy trip, skating successful practices, but Ilya Sorokin played each six games. After struggling successful the archetypal 2 contests, Sorokin settled successful implicit the adjacent four. He finished the archetypal limb of the roadworthy travel with 2 consecutive shutouts and a .933 prevention percentage.

With 5 days disconnected betwixt games, the Isles don’t request to play their manus connected who volition commencement Saturday.

“The starting constituent for Varly, nary substance erstwhile you enactment him in, volition beryllium his starting point,” Trotz said. “He’s not gonna beryllium immoderate much rusty than helium would beryllium now. So helium could spell successful in Nashville [on Saturday] oregon helium could spell successful in Montreal [on Thursday] oregon we could hold until adjacent week. We’ll marque a determination connected wherever helium is with our goaltending coaches and myself tomorrow.”

For his part, Varlamov wasn’t consenting to accidental determination wouldn’t beryllium immoderate rust erstwhile helium returns.

“I don’t cognize however I’ll consciousness successful the archetypal game,” Varlamov said. “You ne'er know, right?”

Zach Parise was the lone holdout of signifier connected Thursday. Trotz said his backmost stiffened up, but it shouldn’t beryllium thing excessively serious.

“Hopefully he’ll skate time and we’ll person a amended idea,” Trotz said.