Garand Named Rangers' Backup Goalie Amidst Korpisalo Injury

Dylan Garand has been named the New York Rangers' backup goaltender for the start of the season, following an injury to Joonas Korpisalo. Garand, who was among the last players cut from training camp, was recalled from Hartford and was in net for the Rangers' home opener on Thursday and their game in Detroit on Friday.

Korpisalo was placed on injured reserve just hours before the Rangers' home opener with an undisclosed lower-body injury, and is considered week-to-week. This development thrusts Garand into the primary backup role sooner than anticipated.

"Dylan and I have had a lot of conversations along the way," head coach Mike Sullivan said. "I had a number of conversations with him when the decision was made to send him to Hartford. He knows that we believe in him. ... He's a good, solid goalie. And we believe in him, and we know he's going to make saves for us."

Korpisalo had been acquired from Boston on July 1 and was slated for the No. 2 position. However, the Rangers had also been evaluating Garand, a 24-year-old homegrown goalie, in a competition for the backup role during training camp. Garand performed well in a limited NHL opportunity last season, posting a 2-0-1 record with a .948 save percentage. Management had initially felt he needed more starter reps in the American Hockey League (AHL) for continued development.

The decision to waive Garand last week came amidst a league-wide trend of teams picking up goalies from waivers, with the Canucks claiming Leevi Meriläinen from the Senators and the Jets claiming Clay Stevenson. Garand's waiver placement proved to be a calculated risk that paid off for the Rangers when he cleared.

Had Garand been claimed, Korpisalo's injury could have posed a significant challenge, as the Rangers' goaltending depth beyond those two is considered shallow, with Spencer Martin and Callum Tung primarily AHL players.

Korpisalo joined the Rangers after a couple of inconsistent seasons, having finished with a save percentage above .900 only once in the past six seasons. Despite this, the team had opted for his larger body of work over the less-proven rookie. The NHL opportunity for Garand was always likely to arise this season, particularly given Igor Shesterkin's injury history. With Korpisalo's current setback, that opportunity has arrived earlier than expected for Garand, who expressed a desire to remain in the NHL. Friday night marked his first chance this season to solidify his role.