GREG LOGAN | greg.logan@newsday.com
10:23 PM EDT, July 1, 2009
If the Islanders have to break glass in case of an emergency with goaltender Rick DiPietro's balky left knee, at least they know they have a quality backup in place to give them a chance to remain competitive. General manager Garth Snow addressed the Isles' No. 1 priority in free agency Wednesday by signing former Edmonton starter Dwayne Roloson to a two-year deal worth $5 million.

Roloson was the Oilers' MVP last season with a 28-24-9 record, 2.77 goals-against average and .915 save percentage, but Edmonton GM Steve Tambellini did the Islanders a favor by offering Roloson only a one-year deal at $3 million. When Roloson turned it down, Tambellini was forced to go into the marketplace in a big way, signing Chicago's Nikolai Khabibulin to a four-year, $15 million deal.

After spending the past three-plus seasons in Edmonton, Roloson didn't want to leave, but contract length mattered more to a player who will be 40 on Oct. 12. "It was strictly the extra year," Roloson said on a conference call that included reporters covering the Isles and Oilers. "When we talked to Tamby, 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."

Having been an All-Star with Minnesota in 2004 and the backstop on Team Canada in the recent IIHF World Championships, where he had a .930 save percentage on the way to a silver medal, Roloson isn't coming to Long Island just to caddy for DiPietro. He has strong credentials, including a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2006 before suffering a knee injury in Game 1 against Carolina.

But he understands DiPietro has 12 years remaining on his 15-year contract and is the starter if he comes back healthy, as expected. Roloson has received no assurances regarding playing time and has no idea where DiPietro's rehab stands.

"Ricky and I have a relationship we've had in the past from when he was going from college to pros," Roloson said. "We get along well. I'm sure, whether I'm playing or he's playing, everything is going to be great.

"He had the same goalie coach I had my first one or two years in college. I met him once he turned pro and at Players Association meetings. It's one of those goalie bonds and something we've carried over our professional careers."