Rangers' Three-Goalie Puzzle | New York Rangers News

Corey (0:00)

It's September 18th. You're listening to New York Rangers News Today. AI-powered coverage of your team. I'm Corey with the story.

The New York Rangers are gearing up for the new season, and it looks like they might be carrying three goalies.

This situation arose after Jonathan Quick retired, leaving a gap behind their starter, Igor Shesterkin. The team brought in Joonas Korpisalo, but they also have a promising young goalie, Dylan Garand, who impressed and limited NHL time. The head coach, Mike Sullivan, has acknowledged that keeping three goalies is a possibility, though not his ideal long-term plan. The main issue is that Garand would have to clear waivers to be sent down to the AHL. Given his small but strong NHL sample size, there's a real risk another team could pick him up. This creates a bit of a puzzle. The Rangers invested a draft pick and are paying Korpisalo $3 million, signaling they expect him to play a significant role. However, Garand's development is also crucial for the franchise's future, and exposing him to waivers isn't ideal for that growth. So the team is faced with a tough decision. They have a lot of talent in the goalie department, but balancing Korpisalo's expected role with Garand's development and waiver status is tricky. It seems the most likely scenario, at least in the short term, is to keep all three.

Ultimately, while having three goalies isn't the most efficient setup, especially with Shesterkin playing most of the games, the Rangers seem to believe it's the best way to protect their young prospect. Garand's continued progress will be a key storyline to watch as the season unfolds.