New Jersey Devils sign David Rittich to one-year contract
The New Jersey Devils have added some depth in net, as the team signed goaltender David Rittich to a one-year contract.
The deal is worth $1 million for the 2026-27 season and Rittich comes to the Devils from one of their rivals, the New York Islanders. The veteran backstop appeared in 30 games for the Isles last season, posting a very respectable 14-10-3 record, along with a 2.76 goals against average, and .894 save percentage.
Rittich served as Ilya Sorokin's backup last season, and with the Devils moving Jacob Markstrom to the Florida Panthers, Rittich has a chance to play a big role in New Jersey, if he's able to beat out Jake Allen, and Nico Daws for starts.
With the David Rittich signing, the #NJDevils are rolling into the 2026-27 season with a committee approach in net.
— JP Gambatese (@jp_gambatese) July 2, 2026
Jake Allen: +9.8 GSAx in 37GP
David Rittich: +6.8 GSAx in 30GP
Nico Daws: +1.6 GSAx in 3GP
Above stats via @TopDownHockey and @JFreshHockey for 2025-26.
Before playing on Long Island last season, Rittich has bounced around a little bit. He played for the Kings in 2024-25, posting a 13-6-3 record with a stellar 2.15 GAA and .921 Sv.%. The 33-year-old has also played for the Calgary Flames, Toronto Maple Leafs, Nashville Predators, and Winnipeg Jets.
In 260 career NHL contests, Rittich has a record of 122-81-29, with a 2.79 GAA, a .903 SV% and nine shutouts. He’s 0-4 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, with a whopping 5.24 GAA and a dismal .787 SV%.
