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Dylan Garand is forcing the Rangers’ hand with elite AHL play

With four consecutive performances of elite consistency, Dylan Garand is making it impossible for the Rangers to ignore his NHL potential.
ByTom Urtz Jr.|
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Dec 8, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers goalie Dylan Garand (33) warms up before a game against the Seattle Kraken at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images
Dec 8, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers goalie Dylan Garand (33) warms up before a game against the Seattle Kraken at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images | Danny Wild-Imagn Images

While Igor Shesterkin has returned to the goal crease for the New York Rangers, he isn't the only netminder that fans should be watching. On Saturday night, the Hartford Wolf Pack surged to a comeback win, driven by yet another sensational performance from Dylan Garand. Entering the game in relief after Spencer Martin surrendered a pair of early goals, Garand was the backbone of a comeback shootout victory. With Garand playing with palpable confidence and the Rangers officially in a "Letter 2.0" retool, now is the time to find out if he’s ready for the next level.

Garand is hot, and now's the time to give him a look

Consistency is hard to come by for goaltending, and that's exactly what Garand is providing the Wolf Pack. He made 24 saves on 26 shots against the Charlotte Checkers on February 14, stopped 23 of 25 against Utica, 28 of 30 on February 22 at Providence, and 24 of 26 on Saturday vs. Lehigh Valley including 10 saves in the shootout.

In each of these four games Garand only surrendered two goals, and he is providing a struggling Hartford squad a chance to win with sensational and consistent play between the pipes.

Why now is the right time

While Garand could very well remain in the AHL for the rest of the season, the front office should try and capitalize on his hot streak and see how he fares against NHL competition.

In the midst of a strategic pivot, the front office is looking for players who can execute a system, stay composed under pressure, and prove they belong in the future of the franchise. Garand is checking every one of those boxes.

Keeping him in Hartford is safe, but the Rangers are well past that point. They need to know what they have in their prospect pipeline, and they need to reward high-level play. If the goal is to evaluate the future core, continuing to keep the door locked on Garand serves no one.

He has earned the right to face NHL shooters, and with the way he is playing, he is the most deserving candidate in the system to get that look. The worst case scenario would see him come up to the NHL and be overmatched, but that would still help the long term plan of finishing with as bad a record as possible to earn a better draft pick.

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