Story by
Islanders Not Closing Door On Re-Signing Goaltender David Rittich
- Story by
- Islanders Not Closing Door On Re-Signing Goaltender David Rittich
(Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images)
The New York Islanders continue to have questions surrounding their goaltending situation as the calendar grows closer to June.
The Islanders ran with the tandem of Ilya Sorokin and David Rittich for the 2025-26 season, with Semyon Varlamov continuing to rehab from double knee replacements.
Advertisement
Obviously, the questions don't have anything to do with Sorokin. He's the starting goaltender, coming off a Vezina-worthy season in which Sorokin was named a finalist.
The question remains who will be the Islanders' backup goalie next year, and whether pending free agent Rittich will return.
According to Stefen Rosner , the door hasn't been closed on a reunion with Rittich, despite Varlamov's progress:
Rittich, 33, started 28 games for the Islanders, posting an .894 save percentage (SV%) along with a 2.76 goals against average (GAA).
The Czech netminder started the year on fire, having an elite front half of the season, but as the year wore on into late January, Rittich's form dipped, as did the Islanders in front of him.
Advertisement
Rittich signed a one-year, $1 million contract on July 1, 2025, with the Islanders.
Varlamov has not appeared in an NHL game since late November 2024, having undergone double knee replacement surgery, and rehabbing ever since.
Th grizzled veteran ended up starting two rehab games for the Bridgeport Islanders, in which Varlamov had a .939 SV% and a 1.50 GAA.
Varlamov's journey has easily become one of the most inspiring stories in all of hockey, now he's one strong summer of healing and recovering away from a surreal NHL return.
If the Islanders feel comfortable with where Varlamov's at come the end of June, it's likely Rittich walks and the Islanders sign a veteran third-stringer as the backup plan for Varlamov:
The good news is the Islanders have clear options either way in net, and are well-prepared for however things may shake out between now and July 1.
