"When Semyon Varlamov went down with an injury in late November, forcing him to miss the remainder of the season, the NY Islanders were missing part of their two-headed monster in the crease, obliging Ilya Sorokin to take on the lion's share of starts. With training camp beginning tomorrow and Varlamov undergoing knee surgery in December, Head Coach Patrick Roy and the Islanders are still uncertain of their netminder's status heading into camp."
"With Varlamov's status uncertain, one of Mathieu Darche's first orders of business on day one of free agency was bringing in David Rittich as an insurance policy, signing him to a one-year, $1M contract. The 33-year-old Czech has been a career backup in the NHL with a 2.79 GAA and .904 SV% over eight seasons. The acquisition of Rittich allows Varly to take all the time necessary to ensure he is completely healthy."
Semyon Varlamov suffered a late-November injury and underwent knee surgery in December, leaving his availability for training camp uncertain. Ilya Sorokin handled the majority of starts after Varlamov's injury. Head Coach Patrick Roy indicated uncertainty about Varlamov's status and said Mathieu Darche is managing communications with trainers; Roy confirmed Varlamov has been skating. General manager Mathieu Darche signed veteran David Rittich to a one-year, $1M contract as insurance. The 33-year-old Rittich has a 2.79 GAA and .904 SV% over eight NHL seasons. Marcus Hogberg filled in last season but Rittich represents an upgrade. A healthy Varlamov remains important for the Islanders' playoff hopes and can step in if Sorokin struggles or is injured.
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