Vitek Vanecek making case to be third goalie as Islanders weigh Semyon Varlamov’s health risk

The netminder, who signed with the Islanders on a one-year, $1 million deal this offseason, doesn't need to beat out Semyon Varlamov so much as he needs the organization to decide that carrying a third goaltender on the roster is necessary due to the combined risk of Varlamov's health and losing Vanecek on waivers.

That was more or less acknowledged outright by coach Pete DeBoer following Sunday's 2-1 preseason defeat to the Devils, in which Vanecek played the duration and turned aside 20 shots.

"It's been discussed, and it does handcuff you," DeBoer said when asked about the possibility of keeping three netminders on the 23-man roster. "I think that's all gonna depend on how Varly's doing, how he's feeling and things like that. I don't think, in talking with Mathieu [Darche], that we want to go there, but it's on the table if we have to."