The latest goaltending prospects rankings for all 32 teams were released, and there's actually a few squads missing their own top prospects at the position between the pipes. The Rangers happen to be one of those squads, even though they may have a solid backup to Igor Shesterkin waiting in the wings.
Rangers' top goaltending prospect from last season drops off list
Dylan Garand, a 24 year old Victoria B.C. native, played just three games for the Rangers last season, but he did so quite well, registering a very respectable 1.62 goals against average alongside an impressive .948 save percentage. His three total starts ended up with a 2-0-1 record, and while he was with the Rangers' AHL affiliate in Hartford, he participated in the 2025 AHL All Star Challenge and was the Wolf Pack's go-to goaltender last season even as they finished dead last in their division, eight points from the bottom and a good 12 from any playoff chances. Sounds familiar, doesn't it?
But regardless, putting up those numbers makes you wonder how the rest of Garand's team was that bad. It seems that he was the one who kept them going even when they were eliminated from playoff contention.
Garand's home this year remains up in the air
Now, Garand will have a bit of competition and is unlikely to be the backup behind Shesterkin, but as you might have already figured out, he's definitely got the talent to be a No. 2 goaltender in the NHL. When training camps roll around in just a few more weeks, Garand will find himself squaring off with veteran goaltender Joonas Korpisalo, a 32 year old the Rangers picked up from Boston during the offseason. His last three seasons with the Boston Bruins and Ottawa Senators combined have given him a 3.15 goals against average and a .892 save percentage which isn't all that inspiring, and so this will make for some interesting watching in camp.
One significant thing to note with Garand is that he signed a two year extension with the Rangers, this summer. This extension was a two-way deal, meaning that the Rangers will pay Garand less if he's in their AHL affiliate in Hartford if need be. During the second year of the extension, it's reduced to a one way, meaning Garand makes the same no matter if he's in New York or Hartford in what would be during the 2027-28 NHL season. Garand is no longer exempt from waivers, so the Rangers would need to sneak him through at the start of the year if he doesn't make the opening night roster.
That is a risk, and the hope is he clears. Garand has potential to continue developing based on the amount of solid play he had in his three starts last season, even if they were just in an emergency fashion with Shesterkin out of commission at the time.
Speaking of that extension, there's another big thing to note Korpisalo was acquired on July 1, just over a week after Garand got his extension on the 21st. Not only that, but Korpisalo brings with him a fairly high backup cap hit of $3 million, even though the Rangers still had enough cap space to still give Garand a good paycheck. It's just another piece of motivation Garand can use at camp in a few weeks time if he wants to definitely be the Rangers' number 2 option in goal.
While many experts have expressed surprise at leaving Garand off this top 25 prospects list, there are a few things to consider. Garand is 24 years old. That's about as old of a "prospect" as you can get in today's game, and he happens to be on the upper end of that age with his birthday being this past June.
Adding to the things holding back from Garand creeping onto the list is how he's also seen as an emergency backup goalie, despite being a bona fide starter in Hartford. But the AHL level of play is far less intense than that of the NHL, and again, Garand only has three NHL games under his belt. At least Jonathan Quick retiring this summer opened up one medium sized spot, because most of the time that just doesn't happen. Jumping from the AHL to the NHL in one season is quite a big leap, no matter what position you play.
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