Isles Add Roloson In Goal

by Brad Kurtzberg
July 01, 2009 @ 10:31 PM ET

The New York Islanders have signed veteran goaltender Dwayne Roloson to a two-year contract worth a total of $5 million.

Roloson, 39, was the starting goaltender for the Edmonton Oilers last season. He appeared in 63 games for Edmonton and finished with a 28-24-9 record and a 2.77 goals against average.

“We are thrilled to add Dwayne to our lineup,” said Isles' GM, Garth Snow. “He is a proven winner having led the Edmonton Oilers to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2006 and we look forward to him bringing his veteran leadership to the Islanders.”

In his NHL career, the Simcoe, Ontario, native has 167 wins and 23 shutouts in 462 games. Roloson led the Oilers to the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals and led the NHL in save percentage in 2003-04 with a .933 mark.

Roloson's signings mean that neither Joey MacDonald nor Yann Danis, who started nearly all of the games when starter Rick DiPietro went down with injuries last season, will be returning to Long Island. Both MacDonald and Danis are unrestricted free agents.

The veteran will also provide the Islanders with an insurance policy if starter Rick DiPietro is held out of action for any length of time this season. In 2008-09, DiPietro was limited to just five appearances due to hip and knee injuries. He has not played a game since January 2, 2009.

In an interview with the MSG Network, Snow assured Islanders fans that DiPietro's rehab is on schedule. "Rick’s going to start skating in a few weeks and be ready for training camp," Snow said. "We just had an opportunity to add a quality goalie to our organization and we did it."

Several teams expressed interest in Roloson, including the Oilers, but the the Islanders were willing to give the veteran goalie, who will turn 40 on October 12, a two-year contract.

"It was strictly the extra year," Roloson said on a conference call on Wednesday. "When we talked to Tamby (Oilers GM Steve Tambellini), they gave us one offer and that was it. We came back to them, and there was no movement. So, we figured they didn't want me back. I'm glad things worked out the way they did today."