Jonathan Quick's one-year extension with the New York Rangers means the Blueshirts will enter next season with the same goaltending tandem that has guided them through this year. This has raised a few questions over the future of goaltending prospect Dylan Garand, who many assumed would begin his transition into the backup role next year as Quick retired. However, Quick's extension means Garand is likely to play another year with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League.
Garand has a .913 save percentage in the AHL this season and a 2.77 goals-against average. He's been good for the Wolf Pack, and many thought it would get him a chance in the NHL soon. However, this season follows a year where Garand had just a .898 save percentage, which built on a year when he had a .894. He's slowly developing in the right direction, and the Rangers want to be sure they get the best out of him.
Does giving Garand another year in the minors help him? It's certainly a debate that the team will have with the player. Garand is a promising young netminder whom the Rangers have tried to bring up through the system to be a long-term partner for Vezina-winning goaltender Igor Shesterkin. He's still young, so another year likely won't harm Garand, but he needs to become the third-choice netminder.
For a few years now, the goaltender recalled that when Quick or Igor got hurt, Louis Domingue had been right-handed. That's not a bad goaltender, but it has meant Garand has only sat on the bench with the Rangers, never getting into the action. He needs to start being exposed to NHL shooters to see if he can fill that gap in the coming years, and that can be a developmental step as Quick has another year.