Chris Drury changed the look of the Rangers’ goalie picture in a hurry on the first day of free agency.
For much of the offseason, Dylan Garand seemed lined up to back up Igor Shesterkin next season. New York brought Garand back on a two-year deal, and that appeared to lock in that part of the roster.
Instead, Drury, the team’s president and general manager, made a surprising move by sending Kalle Vaisanen and a fourth-round pick in 2028 to land goaltender Joonas Korpisalo.
The trade immediately raises a simple question: what does this mean for Garand?
At the very least, it pushes him down the depth chart for now. His clearest path may be back to Hartford, unless he somehow becomes an option elsewhere. The deal also hints at two possibilities - either Garand isn’t ready yet, or the Rangers are angling for a playoff push in 2026-27.
This isn’t a full swing away from the retool, though. New York’s earlier move to acquire Vegas Golden Knights forward Pavel Dorofeyev was a positive step, but not a total shift in direction.
Korpisalo gives the Rangers a veteran presence behind Shesterkin, and there should be real competition at training camp. Garand flashed some promise at the AHL level in Hartford, but Korpisalo brings NHL experience. Last season with the Bruins, he went 14-9-6 with a 3.15 goals-against average and one shutout.
The contract matters, too. Korpisalo is signed through the end of the 2027-28 season at a $3 million AAV, with the Ottawa Senators retaining 25% of the deal. That keeps him on the roster for this season and next, giving New York some time to see where the retool stands.
There is risk built into the move as well. Garand is now waiver-eligible, so if he doesn’t make the roster out of training camp, the Rangers could lose him for nothing.
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