David Rittich has a chance to matter in New Jersey, even if he’s the one getting the least attention in the Devils’ goaltending picture.
That’s been the theme of the Devils’ offseason: a lot of movement, a lot of discussion, and a whole lot of focus on the crease. New Jersey signed Anthony Mantha, traded Jacob Markstrom to the Florida Panthers for Evan Rodrigues and Jesper Boqvist, and moved Simon Nemec for a package of futures.
The Quinn Hughes conversation has lingered, too. But the biggest debate has centered on how new GM Sunny Mehta chose to handle goaltending.
The Devils’ answer was to lean into a three-goalie setup, betting that Nico Daws, Jake Allen and Rittich can collectively hold the fort. That approach has naturally pushed Rittich toward the background, even though there’s a case for him to be more than just an afterthought.
Allen and Daws are still the likeliest candidates to see most of the starts. Neither should be dismissed.
There’s belief around Daws, including from Martin Brodeur, and Allen brings plenty of experience with strong outings on his résumé. Before the Olympic break, Allen had a 6.74 goals-saved above average, which ranked 20th in the league.
His usage after the Olympic break, though, was so irregular that those later numbers are being set aside.
Rittich’s case is more volatile, but also more interesting. For a stretch last season, he looked like one of the better goalies in the NHL.
Through Dec. 31, he ranked 10th in the league with an 8.63 GSAA. That was a major surprise considering he was expected to be in the AHL while Semyon Varlamov backed up Ilya Sorokin.
Then it all went sideways.
In 2026, Rittich was among the league’s worst by GSAA, finishing as the eighth-worst goalie and allowing nearly 10 more goals than expected at all strengths. That collapse helped drag down the Islanders, who eventually missed the playoffs. Rittich wasn’t the only issue, but a few extra wins might have changed the ending on Long Island.
The split between the two versions of Rittich comes down to shot quality and execution. The Islanders were doing a good job limiting dangerous looks in front of him, but he was still giving up too many soft ones. Of the 39 goals he allowed after Jan. 1, 22 were not classified as high-danger shots.
That’s why his season reads like a confidence story as much as a numbers story. When Rittich was sharp and handling the easy stops, he looked like a goalie who could steal games.
When that slipped, he started looking like a third option. In a Devils crease built on uncertainty, that makes him worth watching anyway.
In Other News...
Why Jeremy Collitons Sudden Devils Exit Looks Bigger Now
Jeremy Collitons sudden exit from the Devils now looks like more than a simple change of address. After stepping away from his role as the clubs power play coach, he has surfaced as a candidate for coaching opportunities in the Swedish Hockey League, where multiple teams are said to be interested in him for head coaching jobs. The wrinkle is that there are no openings right now, which makes the timing of his resignation stand out even more for a New Jersey team that has already had to adjust its staff picture.
Colliton has made it clear he is looking for a different kind of challenge, one centered on building a culture from the ground up and finding a long-term project that matches that ambition. That helps explain why his departure has felt so abrupt from the Devils side, even if his next move is still waiting on the right fit. For now, his name is tied to a market that wants him, a role he wants, and a timeline that has not quite lined up yet. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Still Face One Big Opening Night Roster Question
A lot of the Devils summer chatter has already been answered under general manager Sunny Mehta, and the review of 10 offseason predictions shows how much of the roster picture has come into focus. Nico Hischier got his contract extension, the club held onto the 12th overall pick, and Simon Nemec was moved for draft picks and a prospect, three developments that helped reshape the conversation around what this team might look like when the season opens.
Even so, there is still one big piece of business hanging over the roster, and it has kept the final opening night picture from fully settling in. Predictions involving Dawson Mercer, Jonas Siegenthaler and Brenden Dillon have not come to pass as of the articles writing, which leaves the Devils with a few unresolved possibilities even after a summer that already changed the shape of the team. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Have A Much Bigger Goalie Question Than Jacob Markstrom
The Devils are headed into the season with a goalie setup that looks a lot different than the one they finished with, and not just because Jacob Markstrom is gone. New Jersey has chosen to build around a three-goalie rotation, bringing back Nico Daws and adding David Rittich after sending Markstrom to Florida in a deal that brought Jesper Boqvist and Evan Rodrigues back the other way.
Markstroms rough year with the Devils made the change easy to understand, but it also left a bigger question hanging over the roster. With Daws and Rittich now part of the mix, the issue is no longer simply who replaces Markstrom in net, but how the Devils plan to manage the position at all when the season gets going. [Read more 🡒]