Ever since Igor Shesterkin was ruled out for the season with a lower-body injury, there has been a lot of speculation about who the New York Rangers could and should trade for. With the Blueshirts 7-3-1 and tied for the top spot in the Metro, they have a real shot at making a run this season. Many believe acquiring a veteran goalie could keep this team as a real contender. However, while the Rangers need to bring in a goalie from outside the organization, they should not be given the starting job. Dylan Garand has more than earned the starting goaltender role for the foreseeable future.
The Rangers should ride the hot hand of Dylan Garand
The performance of Garand has been one of the biggest surprises for the Rangers. After being stuck in Hartford for the last four seasons, he has burst onto the scene. Through seven games he has a 1.85 goals against average and a .929 save percentage. He has also only allowed more than two goals once this season. But that came in against the Devils when nobody on the Rangers seemed to have a good game.
Garand has been very successful this season against high-danger shots. According to NHL EDGE data, he has a .955% save percentage against high-danger shots, ranking in the 98th percentile. This area of the ice is also where Garand has his best save percentage. This will be a huge benefit for the Rangers, as it will prevent them from getting burned by those short-range shots. They will not have to worry about preventing teams from getting close-range shots.
This shows just how good Garand has been in net. It has led to the Rangers getting nine out of a possible 12 points. The Rangers have found a ton of success with Garand in net. He is putting the team in a position to win and is making them look like a contender. With how well this is working, why change things? Why would the Rangers shake things up when it's winning hockey games? You just open yourself to the possibility of going into a slump.
Now, sure, there are concerns about whether Garand can keep this up the whole season. With his inexperience and his AHL metrics not being as good as you'd like, there is no guarantee he can keep up this strong level of play. But that's why you bring in a veteran as an insurance policy.
Keep Garand as the starter for as long as he is playing well. Then if his play starts to slip, then you bring in the veteran you acquired. Having a veteran as a backup will also take some of the pressure off of Garand.
While it may not have been what the Rangers expected, but Garand gives them the best chance to win. It has worked in a short sample size, and they should see how long it last.
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