Rangers Should Let Korpisalo & Garand Compete to Be Backup Goalie

The New York Rangers have acquired many key new players, including defensemen Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson, and forwards Pavel Dorofeyev, Oliver Bjorkstrand, and Eeli Tolvanen. They also acquired goalie Joonas Korpisalo in a trade with the Boston Bruins, and he should compete with rookie Dylan Garand to be New York’s backup goalie this season.

Joonas Korpisalo

Korpisalo, who is 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds, was drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the third round of the 2012 NHL Draft, and he has spent most of his career with them. He was excellent as a rookie in 2015-16, finishing with a 16-11-4 record, a .920 save percentage (SV%), and a 2.60 goals-against average (GAA).

Over the next few seasons, Korpisalo spent a lot of time as the Blue Jackets backup goalie but was strong in 2019-20, and he was excellent in the playoffs, finishing with a .941 SV% in nine postseason games. During the 2022-23 season, he was traded to the Los Angeles Kings and had a strong regular season before finishing with an .892 SV% in six playoff games as the Edmonton Oilers knocked out Los Angeles in the first round.

Korpisalo spent the 2023-24 season with the Ottawa Senators and finished with a 21-26-4 record, an .890 SV%, and a 3.27 GAA. His numbers were not good, but the entire team struggled defensively, allowing too many odd-man rushes and scoring chances from the slot. He spent the last two seasons with the Bruins and finished with a 25-19-9 record, an .894 SV%, and a 3.03 GAA combined over those two seasons.

Though Korpisalo possesses size and quickness, he has been inconsistent, allowed some bad goals, and struggled with rebound control. He has four shutouts in the last two seasons and is certainly capable of playing at a high level, but he also had some frustrating slumps. The 32-year-old has plenty of experience, both as a starter and as a backup, which should help him as he adjusts to playing on a new team this season.

Dylan Garand

Though Korpisalo is signed for the next two seasons, the Rangers should still give Garand an opportunity to compete to be their backup goalie. The 24-year-old, who is 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds, was drafted by New York in the fourth round of the 2020 NHL Draft. He has spent the majority of the last four seasons with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League (AHL).

Garand had his best season in the AHL in 2024-25, finishing with a 20-10-8 record, a .913 SV%, and a 2.73 GAA. Despite his strong play, he did not get called up as veteran backup Jonathan Quick had a strong season with the Rangers.

Last season, Garand started the year with the Wolf Pack and finished with a 16-15-2 record, an .896 SV%, and a 2.83 GAA. He made his NHL debut late in the season and was impressive in his three games with the Rangers. He stopped 35 of 37 shots in a 3-2 shootout loss to the Winnipeg Jets on March 22, stopped 27 of 28 shots in a 6-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on March 27, and stopped 29 of 31 shots in a 4-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on April 15.

Garand read plays well, came up with a few saves on shots from the slot, and made some key saves late in games.

The Rangers Need a Reliable Backup Goalie

The Rangers have one of the best goalies in the NHL in Igor Shesterkin, but Quick and the team struggled badly when he spent time on injured reserve with a lower-body injury last season. He has spent a few stints on injured reserve during his time with New York, and they need to have a reliable backup this season. Korpisalo and Garand should both have an opportunity to earn the spot this preseason, and the hope is that they will provide steady play and give New York a chance to win games when Shesterkin is not in goal.