The New York Islanders have announced that they have signed goaltender Marcus Hogberg to a two-year deal worth $1.5 million. Hogberg, 29, has spent the last three years playing for Linkoping HC in the Swedish Hockey League. He had previously spent time in the SHL earlier in his career as well. The former third-round pick of the Ottawa Senators in 2013 spent five seasons in the Senators organization, playing in 77 AHL games with the Belleville Senators, putting up a 36-32-10 record with a 2.72 GAA, .907 SV%, and three shutouts. He would play in 42 games at the NHL level, with Ottawa putting up a 9-17-9 record with a 3.39 GAA and .894SV%. Hogberg’s last NHL appearance came on April 28th, 2021, vs Vancouver Canucks, where he would make 19 saves in a 6-3 win for the Sens.
Heading into next season, the Islanders already have their goalie tandem set with Ilya Sorokin, who is signed through the 2031-32 season, and Semyon Varlamov, who is signed through the 2026-27 season. Ken Appleby’s contract expires at the end of this season, and Jakub Skarek will be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights at the end of the 2024-25 season. Since being drafted by the Islanders in the third round in 2018, the 24-year-old Skarek has struggled to find his game in the AHL, going 44-71-16 with a 3.31 GAA, .891 SV%, and four shutouts. Appleby played in 22 games this season in Bridgeport, going 10-10 -1 with a 2.85 GAA, .901 SV%, and one shutout. It would be expected that either Henrik Tikkanen or Skarek see time next year with the Worcester Railers of the ECHL; Tikkanen made a strong case this year to stay with Bridgeport after putting up an 8-6-2 record with a 2.10 GAA .930 SV% in 18 games this past season and earned an entry-level contract with the Islanders.
ITR 26: 2 Nations Fighting – Inside The Rink
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