The Important Role Goalie Marcus Hogberg Can Play For Islanders

The New York Islanders have signed former NHL netminder Marcus Hogberg.

The New York Islanders announced on May 7th that they had signed former NHL netminder Marcus Hogberg to a two-year deal. 

The 29-year-old was drafted in the third round (No. 78) of the 2013 NHL Draft by the Ottawa Senators, playing to a 3.39 GAA with an .894 SV% in 42 games from 2019-2021.

Over the last three seasons, the Orebro, Sweden native has played for Linkopings HC in the SHL.

This past season, Hogberg owned a 2.51 GAA with a .914 SV% in 40 games.

"It obviously feels good to get this chance again," Hogberg told LHC's website via translation. "I wasn't really prepared for something like this to appear, but I'm very happy and excited to test my wings on the extreme world elite again."

So, why did the Islanders make this move?

The Islanders are all set at the NHL level after they signed Semyon Varlamov to a four-year extension last summer and Ilya Sorokin to an eight-year extension, which kicks in this season.

At the AHL level, the Islanders have 24-year-old Jakub Skarek (7-22-6, 3.23 GAA, .888 SV%), who inked a two-year extension last summer, but his development has tailed off. 

Due to Sorokin and Varlamov, Skarek has no real path to the NHL, so you can't rule out a parting of the ways between now and the start of 2024-25,  despite him being under contract. 

Bridgeport has already lost Skarek's goalie partner, 29-year-old Ken Appleby (10-10-1, 2.85 GAA, .901 SV%), as he remains an unrestricted free agent. 

In the ECHL, the Islanders saw 23-year-old Henrik Tikkanen, who stands at 6'8 and weighs 201 lbs, take tremendous strides in his second season with the organization after being selected in the seventh round (No. 214) at the 2022 NHL Draft.

In 20 games with the Worcester Railers this past season, Tikkanen played to an 11-7-2 record, with a 3.22 GAA and an .892 SV%. But when he was given the chance at the AHL level -- an 18-game sample size -- he impressed, posting an 8-6-2 record with a 2.10 GAA and a .930 SV%.

Tikkanen's Worcester partner, Tristan Lennox, has only one year of professional experience. He had a 2.94 GAA, a .909 SV%, and a record of 5-6-2 in 13 games with Worcester and will not be ready for the start of the 2024-25 season due to a knee injury. 

So it seems that, with the Hogberg signing, he will replace Appleby in Bridgeport for 2024-25.

That does block Tikkanen from taking more of a role in Bridgeport if Skarek is back. 

Over the last two seasons, when one of the Islanders' top tendies has gone down with an injury, the organization has been hesitant to use any of their goalie call-ups.

Cory Schneider got one game, a magical one, against the New Jersey Devils a few years ago. Appleby came in for one period of relief this past season. 

We will see if Hogberg, a few years removed from NHL action, could be a viable option if there is an injury. 

If he is, the Islanders won’t have to run Sorokin or Varlamov into the ground. 

The Hogberg signing is a low-risk, high-reward move, as even if he doesn't get any NHL minutes, he has a lot he can teach Skarek and Tikkanen about what it takes to be an NHLer.