The New York Islanders [http://thn.com/isles] have placed goaltender Marcus Hogberg [https://x.com/stefen_rosner/status/1973085437028712511] on waivers, which means that David Rittich [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/latest-news/islanders-sign-goaltender-david-rittich-defenseman-ethan-bear-on-day-one-of-nhl-free-agency] has won the opportunity to start the season as Ilya Sorokin's backup. The writing was on the wall, which had been the case ever since the 33-year-old Czech backstop put pen to paper on his contract this summer. His one-year, $1 million deal was never intended for Bridgeport. For Marcus Hogberg [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/players/new-york-islanders-marcus-hogberg-ottawa-senators-sweden], he looked solid in his two preseason appearances, posting a 3.56 GAA with a .900 SV%, allowing three goals on 27 shots. His numbers were actually better than Rittich's, who recorded a 3.58 GAA and an .855 SV% in his three appearances, allowing eight goals on 47 shots. The biggest difference is the two's Goals Saved Above Expected (GSAA), if you believe in that sort of thing. In essence, it's which goals should have been stopped based on the quality and quantity of the shots. Rittich had a -0.56 GSAA, which means he stopped fewer shots than the numbers thought he should. Hogberg played to a 1.06 GSAA, which means that he stopped one more goal than the model expected. That mixed with how Rittich's 2024-25 season went, tying a career-low with an .886 SV% and a 2.84 GAA, could have people questioning why he won the backup job. It comes down to Roy's trust in the goaltender. In Monday night's 3-2 preseason loss to the New York Rangers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers/], Rittich had a rough start, allowing two of the first three goals to go in -- two goals he'd want back. "I don't feel bad," Rittich said about how he's played this preseason. "It's just some sort of things. It's better when that happens in the preseason than in the regular season. So I hope I got rid of those unlucky bounces and bad reads by me. I just hope it's gonna get better." When asked about Rittich's performance, Roy had this to say: "He said something that he had a couple of bad reads. But I will say this, he's a great pro, so I have no worry about him," Roy said. "I think he has the quality to be able to evaluate himself very well. And if he says that he had a couple of bad reads, I'm on his side. So I mean, I know that he's a great competitor. He's going to do everything to help the team, and I have a lot of trust in him." Trust is the keyword, as it played a part in the Islanders needing to go out and get another goaltender this summer, despite Hogberg being under contract (with one year remaining at $775,000). When Semyon Varlamov went down in November, it took Roy a little bit before deciding that he trusted Hogberg with NHL minutes, with the veteran returning to the NHL following three seasons back home in Sweden. Once he got his shot, Hogberg played well. But after an upper-body injury before the NHL 4 Nations Face-Off, he struggled. Over his final eight starts of the season, he went 0-5-3, with a 5.00 GAA and an .821 SV%. That led to the Islanders going out and bringing in some competition, knowing that Varlamov would not be ready for the start of the season. However, if Hogberg plays well in Bridgeport and Rittich struggles, there's a chance that Hogberg could get NHL time. The key question here is whether Hogberg makes it through waivers, and what the Islanders do if he doesn't. Unless they are hopeful that another goaltender hits waivers -- maybe Boston Bruins Michael DiPietro or a Buffalo Sabres' Alex Lyon or Russian Alexandar Georgiev -- Darche may need to look at making a cheap deal because Bridgeport will need a veteran to pair with Tristan Lennox. Stay updated with the most interesting Islanders stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw/sections/CAQqEAgAKgcICjCvqtILMO7F6QMwpuDfCA?ceid=CA:en&oc=3] to never miss a story.
