Goaltender David Rittich, Islanders could be more than a one-year fling

David Rittich has been a win-win free-agent signing for Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche. He no doubt already has at least started to think about what a contract extension for the backup goalie might entail, given that there’s no guarantee that Semyon Varlamov will ever be able to return to the active roster.

The 33-year-old journeyman has been very solid on the ice and is scheduled to make his 12th start on Saturday in Buffalo. His outgoing, loud, kid-around-at-all-costs personality has fit in well in a tight-knit Islanders room, seemingly uniting it even further.

“Well, Ritter made a great first impression,” captain Anders Lee said.

Coach Patrick Roy glowingly described Rittich’s “energy” and his willingness to accept his backup role with a flexibility to be ready whenever needed, even if the plans change late.

“It’s [how] the guys are to me, how they are to my family and how they are to each other,” Rittich said. “I’ve been here since July, and getting to know almost all of the guys before training camp can help and getting to know everyone else in the organization helped, too. And now we’re having so much fun here. It’s awesome. It fits my personality to be able to chirp and the guy you chirp is not sensitive. He chirps you back.”

Darche signed Rittich to a one-year, $1 million deal for his sixth NHL stop after he struggled through a 16-14-2 season with a 2.84 goals-against average and an .887 save percentage with the Kings. Rittich told Newsday in September that his grandfather’s passing last December negatively affected him the rest of the season.

Family is paramount to Rittich. Every game at UBS Arena, he skates to the corner during warmups to wave and interact through the glass with his two young sons, Timmothy, who turns 4 in February and already has begun to skate, and Nathaniel, who is 4 months old.

“It’s great to see family and have them be able to watch you at the best level,” Rittich said. “I’m enjoying every moment.”

Rittich arrived on Long Island this past summer in good spirits and immediately began working out and hanging out with his new teammates.

“He chirped me right away,” defenseman Adam Boqvist said. “I said, ‘Oh [wow], he’s not taking time to get adjusted.’ But it’s good. That’s what gets the team together quickly. Everyone feels like they can be themselves from Day One.”

Rittich will enter Saturday’s start against the Eastern Conference-worst Sabres with a 7-3-1 record, a 2.59 GAA and a .905 save percentage.

“He just is who he is,” Lee said when asked to elaborate on the first impression Rittich made. “He’s outgoing. He says what’s on his mind. And he’s fun to be around. He doesn’t really stop talking, so you know how he feels. We got to spend some time together as a group, have some beers and just hang out. Rittie showed us how he can be a fun time and can connect with everybody.

“He just came in and was himself. I mean, I didn’t know him beforehand. For a goalie to be that outgoing, you don’t see it all the time.”

Ilya Sorokin and Varlamov, still skating on his own without much progress as he tries to work his way back from a knee injury that ended his season last November, have more reserved personalities.

Varlamov, who will turn 38 in April, has one season remaining on his four-year, $11 million deal.

If things continue as they are — Rittich playing well and Varlamov unavailable — it just makes too much sense for Darche to re-sign him.

“That’s not a question for me, right?” said Rittich, playing under his fifth straight one-year deal, as he made a blocker save on the query. “You better go upstairs and ask the primary guy who should make this decision. I’m just doing my job.”

So the question was rephrased to gauge Rittich’s desire to remain with the Islanders.

“It’s been awesome here,” he said. “I love the organization. I love to play for our fans. My family loves it here. I don’t have any thought I’d go somewhere else right now.”

That’s a win-win for Darche and the Islanders.

Notes & quotes: Bo Horvat (left leg/ankle) missed his third game but skated on his own . . . Mathew Barzal missed his second straight morning skate for maintenance, though he again was available for the game. Roy said Barzal is dealing with a physical issue stemming from Saturday’s 3-2 shootout win over the visiting Lightning . . . Laurel Hollow’s Marshall Warren was a healthy scratch after the defenseman was recalled from AHL Bridgeport on Thursday.

By Andrew Gross

andrew.gross@newsday.comAGrossNewsday

Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.