If the Ottawa Senators make it three wins in a row on Sunday night, it might be at the expense of one of their former goalies of the future.
Marcus Hogberg has a chance to get his first NHL start since Apr. 28, 2021, when he helped the Senators beat the Vancouver Canucks 6-3. After an injury this week to Semyon Varlamov, the Islanders recalled Hogberg from AHL Bridgeport on Thursday to back up Ilya Sorokin.
With the Islanders down 4-0 on Thursday night, Hogberg came in and looked very good in relief in the third period. Stefan Rosner from The Hockey News described Hogberg as a “brick wall,” making 11 saves.
Hogberg was Ilya Sorokin’s backup yesterday as the Islanders defeated Carolina 4-3.
Sorokin might go again today but NHL teams usually prefer not to let goalies start on consecutive days, let alone three starts in four days. Hogberg’s fine relief performance on Thursday might give the Isles the confidence to consider him as an option.
Another thing that could disrupt Hogberg’s potential starting assignment today is Varlamov’s health. His lower-body injury doesn’t appear to be too serious. He’s listed as day to day.
We’ll find out later today what the Islanders’ goaltending plan is. But Hogberg getting his first NHL start in three and half years would be a fun story line made even better if it’s against the Senators. It could have been against any team, but it might be the very team that drafted him 11 years ago, then cut him loose after playing 42 NHL games over three seasons.
Superstitious Sens fans would probably hate to see it, though. Whether they’re making NHL debuts, haven’t played in a long time, or in long slumps, players like that frequently make hay against the Sens.
So what has Hogberg been up to since leaving Ottawa in 2021? Hogberg returned home to Sweden to play three years with Linkopings HC. He caught the NHL bug again earlier this year and signed a two-year deal with the Islanders. Hogberg is 2-5-3 this season in Bridgeport with a 3.26 GAA and a .898 save percentage.
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