Exit Robin Lehner. Enter Semyon Varlamov.
Fans have expressed their concerns when it comes to their new goaltender. These concerns are out there for many reasons whether it is his contract, performance or age. But the main concern coming from the fans is Varlamov is replacing the fan favorite Lehner. It is unfair to dislike Varlamov because he is replacing a fan favorite. And it is also unfair to get on the Russian netminder for his play in recent years.
Varlamov has spent the last eight seasons manning the net for the Colorado Avalanche during a time when the Central Division was stacked with teams like the Blackhawks, Blues, Wild, Stars and Predators. Varlamov was still able to put up solid numbers in Colorado including a 41-win year in his Vezina winning 2013-2014 season in which he made 63 appearances.
Varlamov led the Avalanche to a Central Division title that year which marked the first of three playoff appearances during his tenure in Denver. Varlamov did not play in the playoffs these past two seasons due to injury, but he did play in 100 regular season games over the last two years.
While he had some good years statistically, the Avalanche had some really bad years with Varlamov in net. The Avalanche finished at the bottom of the Central in 2014-15 and 2016-17 and the Avalanche collapsed in 2015-16. But it is hard to put the blame on Varlamov for these three bad years when the team in front of him was so bad. These three years were also played under the stubborn Patrick Roy and rookie coach Jared Bednar.
If you look at these years Varlamov had in Colorado, whether they were good or bad, one statistic that stands out is games played. From 2013 to 2019, Varlamov has appeared in 301 games, starting 293 of them which lead all Central Division goalies.
He has a respectable .916 SV% and a 2.68 GAA in his career as well. So, workload clearly has been an issue for Varlamov as it has become a main reason he has not been able to stay healthy the last three years. Varlamov’s numbers are respectable and he has proven he can and still be a number one goaltender.
Islander fans can be mad all they want. But remember to ask yourself: Did Robin Lehner have a bad system while in Buffalo before finding success on Long Island? Did Thomas Greiss fall victim of a poor system two seasons ago? Also, remember who had the best defensive system in the NHL last year? With the Barry Trotz defensive system Varlamov is coming into, there is no reason why he should not have success during his time with the Islanders.

John Smark