Islanders sign quality depth goalie Francis Marotte

The New York Islanders have signed a much-needed depth goalie for the 2021 season according to some Instagram sleuthing.

It’s certainly not the signing you were waiting to hear from the New York Islanders, but the Isles made a necessary signing to shore up their crease at the AHL level.

Going into 2021 the New York Islanders only had four goalies signed. Now, usually, that’s enough shot-stoppers for both the NHL and AHL levels. But with the way rosters are set up in 2021, a fifth goalie was going to be necessary for the Isles.

On Saturday, it seemed that the Islanders have made that signing. According to NYIHockeyNow’s Christian Arnold, the Islanders have signed free agent goalie Francis Marotte to a contract.

Good Numbers

Marotte has spent the last four seasons playing at the collegiate level. His first three years were at Robert Morris U of the AHA where he averaged a 2.36GAA and a 0.917SV%. Great numbers that followed him to Clarkson University (ECAC) for his senior year. In 34 games for Clarkson in 19-20, Marotte averaged an impeccable 1.78GAA and 0.938SV%.

Clarkson finished second in the ECAC that year.

At the end of the 2019-20 season, Marotte was a second-team all-star for Hockey East and a first-team all-star for the ECAC. He was also named goaltender of the year for the ECAC. Clearly, the Isles did their homework and are bringing a quality goalie.

We know that Semyon Varlamov and Ilya Sorokin would split time at the NHL level. Recently signed (although paperwork has yet to be submitted to the NHL) Cory Schneider will certainly stay on the taxi squad while 2018 third-round pick Jakub Skarek would spend time at the AHL level.

Even with a shortened season, a fifth goalie was necessary for 2021 to carry some of the load at the AHL level.  Now we know who that goalie is going to be.