New York Rangers Should Be Confident in Dylan Garand to Back Up Igor Shesterkin – The Hockey Writers – New York Rangers

Though this was a disappointing season for the Rangers, they played better after the 2026 Trade Deadline and got a boost from the strong play of their rookies. Goalie Dylan Garand made his NHL debut late in the season and looked comfortable making the transition to the NHL. With veteran goalie Jonathan Quick announcing his retirement, Garand should get an opportunity to be Igor Shesterkin’s backup next season, and New York should have confidence in him.

Garand Has Earned His Opportunity With the Rangers

The Rangers drafted Garand in the fourth round of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft after a few strong seasons with the Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League (WHL). The 6-foot-1, 185-pound goalie continued to play well with them and finished with 34-9-1 record, a 2.16 goals-against average (GAA), and a .925 save percentage (SV%) in 2021-22, his final season in the WHL.

Garand moved up and played professionally with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League (AHL) in 2022-23 and went 13-14-3 with a 3.01 GAA and a .894 SV%. He went 16-17-5 with a 3.03 GAA and a .898 SV% in 2023-24 and then had his best season in the AHL last season, finishing with a 20-10-8 record, a 2.73 GAA, and a .913 SV%.

Despite Garand’s strong play, he remained in the AHL as the Rangers had a great goaltending duo of Shesterkin and Quick. He once again spent the majority of this season in the AHL and went 16-15-2 with a 2.83 GAA and a .896 SV%. Though his numbers were not great, that was in part due to the Wolf Pack’s defensive struggles, and he helped keep them in games when they were outplayed.

Garand made his NHL debut on March 22 and stopped 35 of 37 shots, including some chances from the slot, in a 3-2 shootout loss to the Winnipeg Jets. He then stopped 27 of 28 shots in a 6-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on March 27, and stopped 29 of 31 shots in a 4-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on April 15. He allowed a soft goal on a backhand shot by Corey Perry, but bounced back by stopping Brandon Hagel on an odd-man rush and made some key saves in the third period while New York was shorthanded.

The Rangers Need a Reliable Backup Goalie

The Rangers got solid play from Quick as their backup over the last three seasons, but he did wear down and struggle when Shesterkin missed extended time with an injury earlier this season. One of the benefits of having a younger backup in Garand, who is 23, is that he should be able to handle playing consecutive games without wearing down.

Having a star goalie in Shesterkin is a luxury, and he has played at a high level in all seven of his seasons with the Rangers. He has consistently been one of the best goalies in the NHL, but having a good backup will be key for them next season. Shesterkin went 25-19-6 with a 2.50 GAA and a .912 SV% this season, while Quick went 6-17-2 with a 3.09 GAA and an .891 SV%.

The Rangers’ poor record when Shesterkin did not start this season is certainly not all on Quick, as the team in front of him slumped offensively and had some defensive lapses, but they need to win more games when their backup starts next season. Garand looked sharp in his three NHL games, and the team’s patience in developing him in the AHL should help prepare him to play consistently in the NHL.

Garand Can Contribute Next Season

After spending four seasons in the AHL, Garand made the most of his first three starts in the NHL and has an opportunity to be Shesterkin’s backup going forward now that Quick is retiring. He has steadily developed and improved with the Wolf Pack, and the Rangers should be confident that he is ready to contribute with them next season.