The Islanders and goalie Semyon Varlamov agreed to terms on four-year contract July 1, the same day Robin Lehner signed a one-year contract with the Chicago Blackhawks. Lehner was a finalist for the Vezina Trophy, awarded annually to the goalie voted best in the NHL, last season with New York.
Varlamov, who has won at least 20 games in six of the past eight seasons with the Colorado Avalanche, will split time with Thomas Greiss, who combined with Lehner last season to win the Williams M. Jennings Trophy, which is awarded to the goalies having played a minimum of 25 games for the team with the fewest goals scored against it during the regular season.
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But Varlamov, who went 20-19-9 last season and backed up Philipp Grubauer in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the Avalanche, has another goal in mind for the Islanders, who reached the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season for the second time since 1993.
"Our goal is to help this team win the Stanley Cup one day," Varlamov said. "I'm sure me and Greiss are going to have a great time working together."
Lou Lamoriello said he tried to trade for Varlamov when he became Islanders GM before last season and expects big things from the 31-year-old.
"In my opinion, our goaltending staff here (director Mitch Korn and coach Piero Greco) is second to none," Lamoriello said. "I rely on their expertise more than my own, and they are extremely high on [Varlamov] and have been high on him and certainly endorsed the direction we took."
The Islanders, who were reportedly in the running to land unrestricted free agent forward Artemi Panarin before he signed with the New York Rangers on July 1, were able to re-sign forward Anders Lee to a seven-year contract after he became an unrestricted free agent the same day.
