Semyon Varlamov

Born in Samara, Russia, on April 27, 1988, Semyon Varlamov was selected by the Washington Capitals in the first round, 23rd overall, in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. Before making his way to North America, he played professionally with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl in the Russian Superleague, beginning a career path that would eventually span more than 600 NHL games across three franchises.

Varlamov arrived in Washington and appeared in 26 games during the 2009-10 season, going 15-4 with a 2.55 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage. The following season he posted a 2.23 GAA and .924 save percentage over 27 appearances before the Capitals traded him to the Colorado Avalanche — a move that defined the next chapter of his career.

In Colorado, Varlamov became the team's primary starter across eight seasons. His 2011-12 campaign saw him play 53 games, going 26-24 with a 2.59 GAA and .913 save percentage and adding four shutouts. The lockout-shortened 2012-13 season was a difficult one, with 11 wins against 21 losses over 35 games. What followed was a career-high season in 2013-14: Varlamov appeared in 63 games, posted a 41-14 record, a 2.41 GAA, and a .927 save percentage — figures that stood as the peak of his Colorado tenure. He was a Vezina Trophy finalist that year.

The 2014-15 season brought 57 games, 28 wins, a 2.56 GAA, a .921 save percentage, and 5 shutouts. He matched that 57-game workload in 2015-16 with 27 wins. The 2016-17 season was abbreviated at 24 games, resulting in a 6-17 record and a 3.38 GAA, his highest single-season figure to that point. He rebounded in 2017-18 with 51 games, 24 wins, a 2.68 GAA, and a .920 save percentage. His final Avalanche season in 2018-19 covered 49 games and 20 wins before he departed in free agency.

In the summer of 2019, Varlamov signed with the New York Islanders. His first season in New York produced 45 games, 19 wins, a 2.62 GAA, and a .914 save percentage. The pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season marked the statistical high point of his time with the Islanders: 36 games, 19 wins, a 2.04 GAA, a .929 save percentage, and 7 shutouts. The 2021-22 season saw his games played drop to 31. He appeared in 23 games in 2022-23 and 28 in 2023-24, the latter producing a 2.60 GAA and .918 save percentage with 3 shutouts. Through ten games in 2024-25, he holds a 3-4 record.

Across 621 NHL regular-season games, Varlamov has accumulated 289 wins, 41 shutouts, a career 2.65 GAA, and a .916 save percentage — numbers accumulated over a career now in its seventeenth NHL season.

InGoal Magazine has covered Semyon Varlamov in one podcast appearance. Episode 62 of the InGoal Radio podcast, released March 24, 2020, featured Varlamov alongside Oleg Romashko ^[1].