David Rittich proving to be Mathieu Darche's most important NY Islanders decision

When Mathieu Darche took over as New York Islanders general manager, the mandate was clear: stabilize the present without sacrificing the future. Big swings would come later. In the meantime, the margins mattered. Putting aside the NHL Draft, no move better reflects that approach than the signing of David Rittich, which is quickly shaping up to be Darche’s most important decision of his first offseason.

Rittich wasn’t brought in to replace Ilya Sorokin. With Semyon Varlamov's short and long-term status in question (and still in question), he was brought in to protect him, support him, and give the Islanders a chance to win games when their No. 1 needed rest or when circumstances demanded it. So far, he’s done exactly that — and more.

Against New Jersey on Tuesday night, Rittich delivered one of his most complete performances of the season. He was under siege early, facing a flurry of Devils chances in the opening period and stopping 14 of 15 shots to keep the Islanders within striking distance. Without that work, the game could have slipped away before it ever settled.

The saves got bigger as the night went on. In the second period, Rittich stoned Jack Hughes on a clean breakaway, a moment that felt like a turning point. Then, with the game tied in the third, he matched Connor Brown at the right side of the crease and immediately followed it by denying Luke Hughes — losing a skate blade in the process, but never losing his focus.

The response from UBS Arena said everything. “Rittich” chants poured down from the stands. His teammates noticed, too, awarding him the Iron Man mask after his eighth win of the season.

Roy summed it up best. Rittich battled. He fought. He made the saves that matter.

“He made huge saves for us,” Patrick Roy said. “Even in the first, he kept us in the game, and we had a really strong second period, but in the third, the moment we gave up a few chances he came up big. I love his energy out there. He battles, he fights and it’s impressive.”

For a team navigating injuries, tight games, and the grind of a long season, that reliability has real value. Darche didn’t just sign a backup. He signed trust — and right now, that trust is paying dividends.