The New York Islanders have added another veteran goalie to their long-time mix, signing David Rittich to a one-year contract worth roughly $1 million on Tuesday, the first day of the NHL’s free agency period.
The 32-year-old appeared in 34 games with the Los Angeles Kings last season, posting an .887 save percentage with a 2.84 goals-against average. It was the Czechia native’s ninth season in the NHL, which has included stops with the Winnipeg Jets, Nashville Predators, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Calgary Flames before his season in LA.
In 230 career games, he has a 2.79 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage. He was also a 2020 NHL All-Star.
His arrival naturally raises uncertainty with the Islanders’ current goaltending tandem of Ilya Sorokin and Semyon Varlamov. While Sorokin is the undisputed starter, Varlamov’s current standing is unknown. He was limited to just 10 games last season due to a knee injury that ultimately required surgery in December and ended his season there.
The 37-year-old said during his exit interview in April that he is hopeful that he will be ready for training camp in September. However, he did admit that his rehab has been an arduous process.
“Since [the procedure] I’ve been doing rehab to get back on the ice,” Varlamov said. “But unfortunately, it’s just taking longer this time, that’s just how it goes. Sometimes it takes a month to recover, and sometimes it takes much longer, which is my case.”
The Rittich signing could be nothing more than added, proven depth. With Varlamov sidelined, the Islanders were forced to dress a carousel of unproven goaltenders, ranging from Marcus Hogberg to Jakub Skarek to Tristan Lennox. Rittich ensures that there is a far safer option if Varlamov’s recovery is taking even longer than anticipated.
