Devils Sign David Rittich to a 1-Year Contract

The New Jersey Devils have signed goaltender David Rittich to a one-year deal worth $1 million.

Rittich went undrafted but signed with the Calgary Flames as a free agent on June 13, 2016. He spent the majority of his time in the 2016-17 season in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Stockton Heat, but he played his first NHL minutes on April 8, 2017, against the San Jose Sharks. For the 2017-18 season, Rittich split his time between the Flames and the Heat.

2018-19 was Rittich’s first full NHL season, and he remained with the Flames until the end of 2020-21 before being traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft on April 11, 2021. Rittich often hit the free agency market after that, playing with the Nashville Predators, Winnipeg Jets, Los Angeles Kings, and, finally, the New York Islanders.

What Rittich Brings in Net

Despite hopping around to several teams throughout his time in the NHL, Rittich is a decent goaltender who can keep his team in the game. Last season with the Islanders, Rittich played in 30 games and had a 14-10-3 record.

Rittich is signed to a one-way contract, so he will make the same amount of money whether he plays in the NHL or in the AHL with the Utica Comets. Rittich is a veteran who will add valuable experience to either team; there has been chatter surrounding Nico Daws becoming Jake Allen’s backup now that former Devils starter Jacob Markstrom has been traded to the Florida Panthers.

Will the Devils decide to keep Rittich in the NHL with the Devils and keep Daws in Utica, or will they decide to finally give Daws a chance in the NHL and use Rittich in Utica to make sure the Comets stand a chance in the upcoming season? We’ll see what they decide once training camp is underway.