On Wednesday, New York Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche provided an update on backup netminder Semyon Varlamov. The 37-year-old underwent season-ending surgery after trying to work his way back from a lower-body injury sustained at the end of November.

"What I've been told is that his rehab is progressing well. He's getting on the ice next week, I believe," Darche told Jeff Marek on The Sheet. "Obviously, my job is to protect the organization, so I brought another goalie in, in David Rittich. We hope [Varlamov] is healthy, but we'll see at that point.

"He's had a great career and a tough year last year with injuries, with surgery. They told me the rehab is going well, but I still have to protect [the organization] because it's a big role."

Darche signed Rittich to a one-year deal worth $1 million annually and still has Marcus Hogberg under contract for one more season at $775,000.

Hogberg served as Ilya Sorokin's backup last season but struggled following the NHL's 4 Nations break.

"Ilya Sorokin will carry most of the load, but sometimes, that's the difference between being in the playoffs or not," Darche said. "So I hope [Varlamov's] great. I saw him when I just got the job, and he says he's progressing well. He feels good, so we'll see what he gets on the ice."

If Varlamov is ready to go come the start of the season, there's a strong chance that Rittich would get claimed off waivers if the organization tried to send him to Bridgeport.

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