After the New York Rangers got away with their risky decision to place Dylan Garand on waivers, Mike Sullivan and company find themselves in need for the young goalie just one game into the 2026-27 NHL season. With Joonas Korpisalo sustaining an injury, the Blueshirts are short their main backup netminder behind Igor Shesterkin.
“The New York Rangers are putting Joonas Korpisalo on IR. He’s week-to-week with a lower-body injury,” Mollie Walker of the New York Post reported on X.
Korpisalo, whom the Rangers sent Boston Bruins prospect Kalle Vaisanen and a fourth-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft for, didn’t log a single second of action in New York’s tough loss against Boston on opening night. Thus, it remains uncertain what the root of his lower-body injury was. What is clear, however, is that it’s not a nothing issue, as Korpisalo will be placed on Injured Reserve and is trending to miss at least a week.
Needless to say, watching Korpisalo get injured before he even got a nod between the pipes was discouraging, and the fans in the Big Apple showed their frustration. Still, looking at the bright side of things, it means Garand, who was expected to start the season with AHL affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack, will get a chance to showcase himself in New York right away. In the end, Garand will be back with the Rangers before he even made his season debut in the minors.
Igor Shesterkin, Joonas Korpisalo, and Dylan Garand of the Rangers.
Garand set to fill in as backup
Garand probably won’t start during the home opener at Madison Square Garden against the Tampa Bay Lightning, but perhaps he’ll be manning the crease when the Blueshirts take on the Detroit Red Wings in a heated Friday night game in Motor City, where two desperate Original Six, 101-year-old organizations will meet.
So far, Garand has only played three games in the NHL, so the Blueshirts are eager to see what he can do in a bigger sample size. The fact that his call-up was unexpected and caught him by surprise may be a useful indicator of how he adapts to the ever-changing NHL environment.
Garand’s stats in the NHL
Through his first three starts, Garand has put up a 1.62 goals-against average (GAA) and a .948 save percentage (SV%), stopping 91 of the 96 shots he’s faced so far. It’s encouraging, but fans in New York have short memories, and all that matters is how Garand plays this season, when he could actually compete for the backup role.
Moreover, playing on the few nights Igor Shesterkin can get a rest, the pressure is on Garand not to mess up and to give his team the best chance at winning.
Key takeaways
- Joonas Korpisalo was placed on Injured Reserve with a week-to-week lower-body injury.
- The New York Rangers will recall Dylan Garand to serve as the backup netminder.
- Garand holds a 1.62 goals-against average through his first three NHL starts.
