The New York Rangers have been in an unenviable goaltending situation. Igor Shesterkin is done for the year. What made matters worse was the Rangers was that backup Joonas Korpisalo was sidelined due to a foot infection. The expectation was that he would be sidelined for a month, and he recently began skating during their break last week.
The Rangers are relying on Dylan Garand to start until Korpisalo returns, and it's not ideal considering they don't have a viable backup behind him.
But now, it appears Korpisalo has taken a significant step forward to eventually making his debut.
Joonas Korpisalo beginning conditioning stint with Rangers in lead up to team debut
Mollie Walker of the New York Post was first to report that the Rangers were sending Korpisalo down to the AHL affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack to begin a conditioning stint. He will make his first start for the Wolf Pack on Wednesday against the Hershey Bears.
This is a significant step forward for Korpisalo, yes. The results of the game aren't too important. Rather, it's to see how Korpisalo plays in the game.
This past offseason, the Rangers had to find a new backup goaltender with Jonathan Quick's retirement. Garand was certainly an option, as his three starts late last season were promising. However, Rangers general manager Chris Drury made a deal with the Boston Bruins for Korpisalo in exchange for a prospect and a fourth-round pick. It was a surprising deal to make, as Korpisalo hadn't had a season with a save percentage higher than .900 since the 2022-23 campaign.
It was a gamble for the Rangers, and it looked even riskier after he picked up the foot injury. Once Shesterkin suffered his season-ending knee injury in their game against the Washington Capitals, things only looked more dire with Korpisalo sidelined.
Dylan Garand vs. Joonas Korpisalo competition is on the way for Rangers
Once Korpisalo officially gets called up, the competition will officially begin to see who will get the majority of starts.
As mentioned earlier, Korpisalo hasn't played the best in recent years, whether it was with the Bruins and the Ottawa Senators. The Rangers, however, have learned to get the most out of veteran goalies, with Quick and Antti Raanta standing out as examples. Maybe they can do the same with Korpisalo.
Garand, meanwhile, has been starting all but one of their games since Shesterkin was ruled out for the season. It's a lot of pressure that they placed on Garand. They tried to give James Reimer a chance as the starter in a game against the Los Angeles Kings, but pulled him after he surrendered three goals in the first period. Then, Garand had to start.
On Tuesday night, Garand had arguably his best performance as starter, recording 32 saves in a 3-1 win over the St. Louis Blues. On the season, Garand recorded a 2.56 goals against average, a .905 save percentage, and a 5-6-1 record.
We'll see just what Korpisalo can bring to the Rangers. If it's not much, expect the Rangers to make a trade for a goalie well before the deadline.
Add us as a preferred source on Google