The Islanders’ top priority right now is re-signing Mathew Barzal; however, the depth in goal is shallower than it should be. Here are some backup goalies the Islanders could make an attempt to sign as depth.

Cory Schneider

There have been rumors that General Manager Lou Lamoriello is in the process of signing former New Jersey Devils goalie Cory Schneider. Lamoriello traded for him during the 2013 NHL Entry Draft in the deal that sent the Canucks the pick that they used to draft their captain, Bo Horvat. The 2004 first-round pick was stellar in his first three seasons with the Devils, recording a .921, .925, and .924 goals-against average, respectively, but injuries and inconsistency have plagued him ever since. He played more AHL than NHL games this year, and that will likely be true moving forward, but if teams need to carry three goalies because of the Coronavirus pandemic, then he would be a great third option for the Isles.

Andrew Hammond

NHL fans probably best remember Hammond for his incredible run with the Senators in 2015. Hammond won 20 of 24 games played and led the Senators to the playoffs after they trailed the final playoff spot by 14 points before his run. They lost in the first round to Montreal, and Hammond never returned to his former glory. He last played in the NHL in the 2018 playoffs with the Avalanche, filling in for Philip Grubauer. He played with the Rochester Americans in the AHL this year, posting a 2.53 GAA and .908 save percentage.

Ryan Miller

Another potential Islanders depth goalie is Ryan Miller. The former Vezina Trophy winner has been a reliable backup to John Gibson in Anaheim for the past three years. He’s played in at least 20 games and his save percentage never dropped below .907. If Anaheim can’t re-sign him, he would be a valuable AHL starter and could be a mentor for Jakub Skarek., but the last time he played in the AHL was 2004, and he can still contribute at the NHL level.

Jimmy Howard

Jimmy Howard had an awful 2019-2020 NHL season. He won only two of 27 games played and had a 4.20 GAA. Perhaps the only bright spot is that he played well in two games for the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL. He’d be a solid AHL starter with a similar upside to Miller, but his performance this season raises a lot of questions about his ability to perform on any NHL roster if a team suffers a goaltending injury.

Garret Sparks

Of all the players on this list, Sparks might actually be the best fit on the Islanders roster. He won the Calder Cup with the Toronto Marlies in 2018, which proved he can excel at the AHL level. Sparks was also coached by current Islanders goaltending coach Piero Greco. He spent the majority of the season with the Chicago Wolves of the AHL, appearing in 26 games. If a goalie at the NHL level goes down with an injury, that has a ripple effect throughout the organization, and Sparks can provide temporary stability if a goalie at any level gets hurt.

Ben Baruch

Born and raised on Long Island. Isles fan since 2009. Studying journalism at the University of Maryland, College Park.