Dylan Garand’s path to the Rangers has been a long one, but he finally got a taste of the NHL on March 22. The 103rd overall pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft made his debut after four seasons of development with the Hartford Wolf Pack, and he appeared in three games for New York to close out the 2025-26 season.
That call-up came after Garand had spent years building a reputation in the AHL as one of the better goaltending prospects in the league. The former Kamloops Blazer became known for rising in the playoffs, stacking together two strong postseason runs, and he put together a big 2024-25 season that earned him AHL Goaltender of the Month honors in December and a spot in the AHL All-Star Game.
Last season in Hartford, Garand took on the starter’s job after three years in a tandem with Louis Domingue, who left for the KHL to open the year. The Wolf Pack started slowly, and Garand did too, but he settled in as the season moved along.
From Jan. 31 through March 18, he went 12 straight games without allowing more than three goals. Over 36 AHL appearances, he finished 16-15-2 with a 2.83 goals-against average, an .896 save percentage, one shutout, three assists and four penalty minutes.
His first NHL recall came on March 20, and two days later he stepped into the crease against the Winnipeg Jets. He took the loss in a shootout, but he gave the Rangers two goals against, made several key stops and helped them come away with a point. In all, Garand went 2-0-1 in three games with the Blueshirts, posting a 1.62 GAA and a .948 save percentage.
Now the real question is where he fits next. The expectation is that Garand should break camp with the Rangers, and he has the resume to back that up. He has logged 148 regular-season games for Hartford, which is second in franchise history behind only Jason LaBarbera’s 182.
But nothing is handed over in camp. Jonathan Quick retired after the 25-26 season, which initially looked like it would clear a path for Garand to back up Igor Shesterkin.
Then came the July 1 trade for Joonas Korpisalo from the Boston Bruins, and that changed the picture. Garand and Korpisalo will battle for the backup role this fall, and the loser is headed to waivers.
The forecast here is Garand wins it. If he has to go through waivers to return to Hartford, there’s a real chance another team grabs him.
Korpisalo, by contrast, is viewed as more likely to clear. There’s also the cap angle: the Rangers can save $350k by keeping Garand and sending Korpisalo to the Wolf Pack.
The numbers from his NHL cameo will not hold over a full season, but Garand has already shown he can handle a bigger workload. Across 148 AHL regular-season games, he owns a 2.90 GAA and a .901 save percentage, and a more stable environment could help those marks tick upward. Shesterkin will still carry the starter’s load, but Garand looks capable of becoming a reliable backup behind him.
He’s spent his entire pro career paying his dues in Hartford, and the evidence says he’s ready for the next step. One more training camp battle stands between Garand and a full-time NHL job, and he’s in strong position to win it.
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