If there’s one thing Islanders GM Mathieu Darche has made clear early in his tenure, it’s that he’s not leaving anything to chance — especially in net. On The Jeff Marek Show, Darche gave fans a cautiously optimistic update on Semyon Varlamov, who’s been working his way back from last season's injuries. “From what I’ve been told, his rehab is progressing well,” Darche said. “He’s getting on the ice next week, I believe.”
That’s good news for an Isles team that leans heavily on Ilya Sorokin but needs a dependable backup to keep the workload manageable over an 82-game grind.