Recently, some really good news broke regarding the New York Rangers' goaltending situation. No, it wasn’t a timeline update on Igor Shesterkin, but it represents another form of a saving grace.
Joonas Korpisalo was assigned to Hartford after being sidelined with an untimely foot infection that wiped out his start to the season. His initial showing with the Wolf Pack was a 4-1 loss against Hershey, in which he stopped 34 of 37 shots, but there is a much bigger picture at play here. He's now back on the active roster following the assignment of James Reimer to the Hartford Wolf Pack.
Dylan Garand is finally getting some help, and it could not have come at a better time as the Blueshirts head out west for a significant four-game road trip. While it remains to be seen exactly when Korpisalo gets into action, but an upcoming matchup in Edmonton looks like a prime target for his Rangers debut.
Here is what to expect from the veteran netminder and how he can stabilize this team.
A "Backup" Role in Name Only
Korpisalo is stepping into a nominal backup role behind Garand. We use quotations because this could very easily turn into a 50/50 split down the middle. With 65 games left on the schedule, a balanced workload would help the Rangers tremendously.
Garand has shouldered the blue paint for 13 of New York's 17 games this season, making 12 starts. That relentless emergency workload caught up to him during the recent losing skid, and the risk of burnout will only grow if he is left out on an island.
Korpisalo provides a vital breather for the young starter and gives New York a legitimate chance to stay competitive every night.
Proving Drury Right
Rangers President and General Manager Chris Drury must have tapped into the future when he acquired Korpisalo from Boston this summer. Drury then exposed Garand on waivers before the season, and thankfully, the young goalie cleared—ultimately stepping up as the club's primary savior when Shesterkin went down.
Or, as Yoda famously said, "No, there is another."
That second option is Korpisalo. His presence creates a far more sustainable rotation. He is an experienced, battle-tested netminder who has delivered solid stretches throughout his NHL career.
New York's upgraded blue line, anchored by Adam Fox, is fully capable of holding the fort in front of him. Combine that with the resurgence of Pavel Dorofeyev and a revamped bottom six, and the forward group looks much sturdier than it did a few weeks ago.
Korpisalo's mission is simple: step in and provide dependable relief for Garand. He doesn't need to be a superstar, as keeping games within reach and giving the Rangers a chance to win is all that's required. Looking further ahead, this tandem setup might even evolve into an audition for who earns the right to back up a healthy Shesterkin next season.
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