Thursday evening, on the second day of 2026 NHL free agency, it was announced that the New Jersey Devils signed veteran netminder David Rittich to a one-year, one-way contract worth $1 million. The 33-year-old netminder's contract comes without any trade protections.
Rittich is the third goaltender now listed on the Devils' roster, joining several-year mainstay Jake Allen and the recently extended Nico Daws. The trio make a combined $3.9 million against the cap, a far cry from what the combined hit would have been were Jacob Markstrom to have stayed on the roster with his $6 million salary.
Rittich most recently played with the New York Islanders, where he logged a save percentage (SV%) of .894 and a goals-against average of 2.76 in 30 games while playing in one of the worst defensive environments in the NHL. His goals saved above expected (GSAx), though it declined over the course of the 2025-26 season, was still a +6.8 in those 30 games, as per HockeyStats. That ranked above the likes of Filip Gustavsson, Brandon Bussi, and Connor Hellebuyck, all of whom played more games than Rittich and for better defensive teams.
Prior to his one-year stint in Long Island, journeyman Rittich spent time with the Los Angeles Kings, Winnipeg Jets, Nashville Predators, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Calgary Flames.
For the Devils, they are seemingly going to roll into 2026-27 carrying all three goalies on their roster. Allen hasn't played more than 42 games in a season since 2018-19, generally struggling when given the role of bona fide starter (even on an interim basis), and Daws is a career third-string who has played somewhat poorly when handed the reins for more than a few games, so it makes sense that Sunny Mehta and company were discontent rolling into the season with just those two in net.
It appears the New Jersey Devils are going into next season with three goalies
Three goaltenders allow the Devils to manage workloads well, with the ability to ride the hot hand or send one of Daws or Rittich down to the minors if need be. If Daws is able to take the reins, great! If not, that's just fine considering there are two veteran goalies who have played well in recent years behind him. For the combined bargain of under $4 million, this is a smart way to go about things.
Some were hoping the Devils would pursue Hellebuyck via trade, but the reality is that this is a front office that likely wants to spend its assets on more controllable outcomes -- the skaters. It is unlike analytics-focused teams to spend trade capital on the least predictable and least controllable facet of the game. Moneyballing the between-the-pipes situation is a smart bet.
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