Dylan Garand will serve as the Rangers' backup goalie after Joonas Korpisalo was placed on injured reserve due to an undisclosed lower-body injury. Despite being sent down to Hartford earlier in training camp, Garand was recalled just before the team’s home opener at Madison Square Garden and made his fourth NHL start in Detroit. Head coach Mike Sullivan emphasized that while Garand had initially been sent to Hartford for development, the Rangers believe in his potential and see him as a competitive backup option.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-02,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
In early October, Dylan Garand, a rookie goaltender for the New York Rangers, was unexpectedly recalled from Hartford after being sent down during training camp due to the injury of regular backup Joonas Korpisalo. Just two practices later in Hartford, Garand returned to New York and made his fourth NHL start on October 7 against the Detroit Red Wings. He delivered a strong performance by recording his first career shutout with 22 saves in a 2-0 victory for the Rangers. This game came shortly after the Rangers' home opener at Madison Square Garden, where Garand was initially not expected to play due to cuts made during training camp. Despite the late call-up and limited practice time, Garand's solid performance suggests he has earned a chance to prove himself as the backup goalie, with head coach Mike Sullivan expressing confidence in him.
Written for “Dylan Garand Rangers Shutout” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 2 other(s) covering the same event.
Among the last round of cuts from training camp less than a week ago, the rookie netminder was in Hartford for just two practices before he was summoned back to New York for the Blueshirts’ home opener at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night and his fourth NHL start Friday night in Detroit.
asserted
he → summon → Detroit
tRY IT NOWJoonas Korpisalo was placed on injured reserve with an undisclosed lower-body injury just a few hours before puck drop in Manhattan.
asserted
Korpisalo → try → Manhattan
The Rangers said he’s considered week to week.
asserted
he → say → week
“Dylan and I have had a lot of conversations along the way,” head coach Mike Sullivan said.
asserted
Sullivan → have → way
“I had a number of conversations with him when the decision was made to send him to Hartford.
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decision → have → Hartford
He knows that we believe in him.
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we → know → him
I don’t know that I have to say anything else.
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I → know → anything
He’s a good, solid goalie.
asserted
He → ’ → ?
And we believe in him, and we know he’s going to make saves for us.
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he → believe → us
It’s crystal clear now that Korpisalo was slated for the No. 2 job since the Rangers acquired him from Boston on July 1.
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Rangers → ’ → July
With a 24-year-old homegrown goalie in Garand pushing his way out of the pipeline, however, the Rangers called it a competition heading into training camp.
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Rangers → push → camp
Garand maximized his first NHL opportunity last season in the form of a 2-0-1 record and a .948 save percentage, but management believes he needs to be getting starter’s reps in Hartford to continue developing.
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he → maximize → Hartford
That led to the Rangers putting Garand on waivers just a few days after the Canucks claimed 24-year-old goalie Leevi Meriläinen from the Senators.
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Canucks → lead → Senators
“I’m sure he was disappointed,” Sullivan said.
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Sullivan → ’m → ?
“He’s a fierce competitor, and he wants to play in the NHL.
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he → ’ → NHL
That’s part of his personality that we love.”
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we → ’ → that
Concerns over the possibility of Garand getting claimed may have been overblown, but they weren’t unwarranted.
uncertain
they → claim → possibility
On the same waiver wire last weekend, the Jets claimed Clay Stevenson and the Devils picked up Remi Poirier.
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Devils → claim → Poirier
It’s true, Garand’s sample size in the NHL isn’t quite big enough to take a flyer on, but young and untapped goalies were hot commodities this preseason.
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goalies → ’ → flyer
It sure worked out for Brandon Bussi and the 2026 Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes.
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It → work → Bussi
Waiving Garand ultimately worked out for the Rangers too, but only because he cleared.
asserted
he → waive → Rangers
Had Garand been claimed, this Korpisalo injury could’ve been a devastating blow to the Rangers.
uncertain
injury → claim → Rangers
After Garand, the Rangers have a shallow pool of netminders in Spencer Martin (primarily an AHL journeyman) and Callum Tung (split last season between the ECHL and AHL).
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Rangers → have → ECHL
Whether you believe Garand should’ve been tabbed as the backup in the first place, Korpisalo came to New York on the heels of a volatile couple of seasons.
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Korpisalo → believe → seasons
He has finished with a save percentage above .900 just once in the past six seasons, when he split the 2022-23 campaign between the Blue Jackets and the Kings.
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he → finish → Jackets
Still, the Rangers naturally went with the bigger body of work than the unproven rookie.
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Rangers → go → rookie
The NHL opportunity for Garand was always going to come at some point this season, especially given Igor Shesterkin’s injury history.
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opportunity → go → history
It may be earlier than expected, but it’s here now.
uncertain
it → expect → ?
Garand said he never wanted to go back to the AHL, and Friday night was his first chance this season to make his case.
asserted
night → say → case
The Aporia
