The best news out of breakup day for the Islanders: Mat Barzal and Semyon Varlamov both expect to be ready for training camp in September.
Neither player — both of whom underwent knee surgery, though for different issues — has begun skating as yet, but both sounded positive notes about their rehab processes ahead of what will be a long summer.
“I expect to be ready for next season,” said Varlamov, who didn’t play after Black Friday. “Everything is going well with the rehab and then the physiotherapy. Everything we do now, the main focus for me is to finish the rehab hopefully soon and have a good summer training, and then I get ready for training camp. That’s the main goal.”
Varlamov said the injury had “been bothering me for a long time” before he got a procedure done in December, and the hope is it won’t be an issue anymore once he returns.
He’s on track to finish rehab around the start of May and start skating again in June.
There had been some question over whether the soon-to-be 37-year-old would be ready for next season, though the real tell will be whether or not the Islanders bring in another backup goalie over the summer.
As for Barzal, if the Islanders had gotten into the playoffs, there’s at least a chance he would be on the ice for Game 1.
He said that when the team’s playoff push was at its peak, he was working to try and get back, but eased up when a berth started looking less likely. Training camp, then, should be no issue.
“Really wanting to persevere through this,” Barzal said. “I love the game, I love being around my teammates. This is kinda everything to me. To not be able to play as many games as I missed sucked mentally and physically. My drive to get back to the player I was coming into camp last year is at an all-time high.”
Alexander Romanov said he broke the cartilage between his ribs early in the season, but it fully healed. Regarding his pending restricted free agency, Romanov said he wants to stay on Long Island, “as long as possible.”
Noah Dobson, Bo Horvat and Simon Holmstrom all sounded open to participating in World Championships to varying degrees.
Horvat was the most definitive about it, saying if Team Canada asks, he’ll play.
Tony DeAngelo, a pending unrestricted free agent, said playing next season with the Islanders would be his first choice.
Matt Martin did not make any announcement about his future, though the past week has come with an obvious air of finality around No. 17.
“I’ll just take some time here and see what’s next,” Martin said. “When the time comes, I’ll know what I want to do and what I want to pursue and go from there.”
