Mathieu Darche, the Islanders' general manager, prioritized short-term depth and long-term flexibility in the free-agent market. He chose not to engage in lengthy contracts, retaining Simon Holmstrom and Tony DeAngelo while adding forwards Jonathan Drouin and goalie David Rittich to the roster. All signings were for two years or less, emphasizing a strategy of prudent spending. Concerns regarding goalie Semyon Varlamov's status arose after Rittich's signing, as Varlamov is recovering from a knee procedure but aims to be ready for the next season.
"It's not like because you have the cap space, you have to spend it all," the recently-hired general manager/executive vice president said. "I look at the cap and I'm always looking two, three years ahead, also."
"We wanted to get Tony DeAngelo done," Darche said. "He played really well when he came here, he can run the power play. So excited to bring him back at a number that makes sense for us."
But signing Rittich, who turns 33 next month and went 16-14-2 with a 2.81 goals-against average and an .887 save percentage in 34 games for the Kings last season, leads to questions about Semyon Varlamov's availability.
"I expect to be ready for next season," Varlamov said on April 19 during the Islanders' breakup day. "Everything is going well with the rehab. The main focus for me is to finish the rehab and have a good summer."
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