The Rangers, and specifically President and General Manager Chris Drury, dodged a bullet Monday.
They were also saved from embarrassment after watching not a single NHL general manager deem it a good idea to add a young, 24‑year‑old, salary‑controlled, up‑and‑coming goaltender with NHL experience to their pipeline of goaltending prospects.
On Sunday, Drury placed goaltender Dylan Garand on waivers for the purpose of assigning him to the Rangers’ AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack.
Garand, a fourth‑round pick in 2020, was one of two players — the other being Taylor Raddysh — the Rangers placed on waivers as part of their initial 23‑man roster. They risked losing Garand for nothing. Now that he has cleared waivers, he’ll likely be Hartford’s top goaltender and get the valuable game experience he needs and deserves until he’s called up by the big club.
I, for one, am completely shocked that so many NHL teams with depleted goalie depth — especially the clubs north of the border — didn’t even consider swiping this gem of a prospect from the Rangers a day before their season begins.
The riverboat‑gambler risk Drury took with the Rangers’ goaltending rotation and organizational depth appears to have been calculated. He had to know fans would absolutely hate losing Garand for nothing, yet he must have had some educated sense that the other 31 NHL teams wouldn’t claim him.
Igor Shesterkin remains the unquestioned franchise netminder for the foreseeable future on an eight-year deal that carries him through age 37. But he has developed a reputation for regularly missing games due to injury. That reality led Drury to trade for Joonas Korpisalo in July, acquiring the 32‑year‑old in exchange for a fourth‑round pick and a prospect.
Korpisalo has been deemed the de facto backup goaltender for the Rangers. He’s making $3 million per season, and he’ll be counted on to spell Shesterkin when possible — especially given Igor’s injury history — over the next two seasons, when Korpisalo’s contract expires at the end of 2027–28.
I, however, have little faith in the 32‑year‑old former Bruins backup. I’ve never been impressed by his inconsistency, positional play, or his penchant for letting in Mr. Softee goals. Whenever the Rangers faced him on other teams, I’d almost always circle that game as a likely win for the Blueshirts. He previously held a 3–7–2 record against the Rangers with a 3.63 goals‑against average and a .870 save percentage.
I’m not sure what Drury sees in him that’s so impressive, but he’s the backup now — at least until he inevitably falters and the chorus of boos rains down from the rafters of Madison Square Garden, prompting a call‑up for Dylan Garand.
Rangers fans are hoping for a healthy, Vezina‑caliber season from Igor Shesterkin. With the improvements made to the Rangers’ back end, a bounce‑back season is certainly within reach for Shesty.
With the lineup officially set for tomorrow night’s opening tilt against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden, the Rangers are hoping for a more respectable and prideful season than last year’s debacle, which left the Blueshirts at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division standings.
The biggest improvement has come on defense, where the Rangers were regularly exploited last season — a major factor in Shesterkin’s down year. The blue line now features a healthy mix of elite talent, veteran presence, and young players eager to prove themselves.
The forward group is more of a mixed bag and will likely be a work in progress that doesn’t truly find its footing until well into the season.
Drury’s “retool” feels like an on‑the‑fly franchise plan. The Rangers have too many veterans to be considered a young team, but not enough aging players to be considered an old one. They’re not big enough to be a grind‑it‑out team, yet not skilled enough to be considered an elite talent squad. This incarnation of the New York Rangers is a true trail‑mix roster: a few nuts, plenty of dried fruits, some organizational seeds, and a handful of sweet and savory add‑ins that complete this NHL blend.
Either way, we as Rangers fans will have to eat whatever Chris Drury is serving.
Bon appétit.
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