Islanders keep goalie David Rittich as backup to Ilya Sorokin
Islanders goaltender David Rittich defends the net against the Rangers during the second period of an NHL preseason game at UBS Arena on Monday. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
There’s now both clarity and uncertainty with the Islanders goalie situation.
Marcus Hogberg cleared waivers on Wednesday and was re-assigned to the Islanders’ AHL affiliate in Bridgeport, meaning ex-King David Rittich will start the season backing up Ilya Sorokin despite some shaky moments through the preseason.
The unknown factor is whether 37-year-old Semyon Varlamov, entering the third season of a four-year, $11 million deal, will ever be available. He is still skating on his own with no timetable for rejoining his teammates as he continues his stop-and-start recovery from season-ending knee surgery in December.
Sorokin is expected to play all of the Islanders’ preseason finale on Thursday night in Philadelphia.
“It was just a matter of experience,” coach Patrick Roy said of the decision to retain Rittich over Hogberg. “He’s been in the league for a long time. We thought that was the need for our team. They both played really well. I think Marcus did a really good job last year, maybe a little more difficult toward the end. He had a pretty good training camp. Sometimes there are decisions to make.”
Hogberg, 30, who allowed three goals over parts of two preseason games, went 2-6-3 with a 3.38 goals-against average and .878 save percentage for the Islanders last season as he returned to the NHL following three seasons in Sweden.
“My mindset is to try and do my best every day and control what I can control,” Hogberg said before being placed on waivers. “Then let’s see what’s working out.”
Rittich, 33, a former No. 1 goalie for the Flames who has also played for the Maple Leafs, Predators and Jets, went 16-14-2 with a 2.81 GAA and .887 save percentage for the Kings before signing a one-year, $1 million deal with the Islanders. He’s allowed eight goals over his three preseason appearances, including two on the first four shots he faced in Monday’s 3-2 overtime loss to the Rangers at UBS Arena.
So he was not ready to feel comfortable despite Hogberg heading to Bridgeport.
“You never know in this league,” Rittich said after Wednesday’s practice at Northwell Health Ice Center in East Meadow. “It’s two spots but there’s at least four goalies waiting down in the AHL and ECHL. Those games, the first one was good but then the second and the third there were some things I’d like to do differently. But that’s what preseason is for and you just move from that and be better than that.”
Notes & quotes: Top-six forward Jonathan Drouin (illness) missed practice and Roy said it was unlikely he would play in the preseason finale . . . Forward Pierre Engvall (hip) continues to skate on his own . . . Roy said a decision on whether to keep 14 forwards and seven defensemen or 13 forwards and eight defensemen on the opening-night roster has not been made. Isaiah George, a fourth-round pick in 2022 who played 33 games for the Islanders last season, would be the eighth defenseman . . . Forward Matthew Highmore, 29, who has 187 games of NHL experience, also cleared waivers and was re-assigned to Bridgeport.
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
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