NEW YORK, NY -- The New York Islanders were expecting to have goaltender Marcus Hogberg back in the mix following the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off. However, the first-year Islanders' upper-body injury has kept him out longer than expected.
According to head coach Patrick Roy, last Friday, Hogberg had yet to take shots but was skating before team practices with goaltending coach Piero Greco.
The Islanders have been running Ilya Sorokin into the ground as Jakub Skarek is clearly not a realistic option as long as the Islanders are fighting for a playoff spot.
With the number of games the team will play in March and April to close out the 2025-25 season, they need a more reliable backup if Hogberg won’t be ready to go over the next few weeks.
So, who is the best goaltending option for the Islanders on the trade market?
Remember that Hogberg is under contract for next season, at $775,000. With Mathew Barzal on long-term injured reserve, the Islanders have $7.875 million in available cap space.
If a goaltender is acquired, the Islanders would just need to send Skarek back to Bridgeport. He
He is up on an emergency basis and does need waivers to be returned to the American Hockey League.
With the Chicago Blackhawks recently acquiring goaltender Spencer Knight from the Florida Panthers in exchange for disgruntled defenseman Seth Jones, 25-year-old Arvid Soderblom is completely expendable.
Soderblom is an expiring RFA, with a cap hit of $962,500 and has upside, playing to a 3.02 GAA and a .906 SV% behind a horrific hockey squad.
He would likely cost a mid-round pick, let’s say a fourth.
He could certainly challenge Hogberg for the backup job next season. If not, he can be the No. 1 in Bridgeport of the American Hockey League.
Blackhawks do have veteran goaltender Petr Mrazek under contract through 2025-26, so don't be shocked if Soderblom is on the move somewhere.
Other names like Pittsburgh Penguins netminder Alex Nedeljkovic (12-12-5, 3.18 GAA, .892 SV%) and San Jose Sharks Vitek Vanecek (3-7-3, 3.88 GAA, .882 SV%) make sense for the Islanders.
However, Nedeljkovic’s cap hit is $2.5 million through 2025-26. Vanecek is a pending unrestricted free agent with a cap hit of $3.45.
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The 36-year-old has been shut down after trying to work his way back from a lower-body injury and there’s no timetable for his return. It wouldn’t be a shock if he was out for the rest of the season and beyond.
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