What’s Next for the Rangers Goaltending Beyond 2026 Following Their Hall of Fame Backups Retirement
The offseason has officially begun for the New York Rangers, who are beginning to look to the future on several fronts. While some bright spots were quite visible as the season concluded, there's one key aspect of this Rangers team that fans remain confident in. As New York's starter, Igor Shesterkin, finishes the first year of his newest NHL contract, he'll be counting on a new backup going into next season. Before the Rangers' match against the Florida Panthers on April 13th, their backup goaltender, Jonathan Quick, announced his retirement from the NHL. The 40-year-old goaltender played his final game against Florida, which sadly ended in a 3-2 loss, recording a save percentage of .812 while saving 13 of 16 shots. An unfortunate night, ending his Hall of Fame career on a loss, but his time with the New York Rangers will never go unnoticed by these New York fans.
Fans would do better than to let Quicks' age fool them; his final seasons between the pipes with the Blueshirts were anything but wasted. Beginning with his 23-24 season, the three-time Stanley Cup Champion recorded a record of 18-6-2, including two shutouts, a save percentage of .911, and a GAA of 2.62. An incredible first season with the Blueshirts, playing a huge part in their Presidents' Trophy season. Although the 24-25 season wasn't one to remember, Quick still shone with an 11-7- 2 record, recording an 8.93 save percentage, 3.17 GAA, and three shutouts. Feeling he had one more season in himself, the Connecticut native ended his final season with a record of 6-17-2, with a save percentage of .891 and a GAA of 3.09. From how much time Shesterkin missed due to injury, it's hard to blame Quick for his struggle this season, especially with a struggling team in front of him. After three seasons with New York, the American-born goalie finishes off with a record of 35-30-6, a total save percentage of .899, and a total GAA of 2.94, not too shabby. To top it all off, retiring with the team he rooted for as a child makes it the perfect way to shut the door on a Hall of Fame career. Three seasons worth remembering for New York fans, but the time has come to look for a new backup, and they may have the perfect replacement.
Although it's almost certain the Rangers' Russian goaltender will stay where he is, who better should be his backup in this Rangers retool than their newest rookie goaltender? Though ending the season with only three starts, Dylan Garand has shown his potential as the Rangers' next answer in net; his patience has certainly paid off. Starting his career on March 22nd, the rookie goaltender turned aside 35 of 37 shots and earned the Blueshirts a point in a 3-2 shootout loss to Winnipeg. Five days later, Garand went on to earn his first NHL win, saving 27 of 28 shots in a 6-1 victory against Chicago. A few weeks later, he finishes the Rangers' season off with a win just last night against the Tampa Bay Lightning, saving 29 of 31 shots in a final score of 4-2. Of his three starts, the 23-year-old rookie finishes the season 2-0-1, with a .948 save percentage and 1.62 GAA. A great first taste of NHL experience for the Canadian goaltender, but has he earned himself a place with the Blueshirts to begin the 26-27 season?
While plenty still needs to be done in the offseason to come, New York's retooling stage may benefit quite well with Garand's time in net. The rookies on ice for the Rangers have already stood out quite a bit, and if they're to be serious about their development, their experience on the ice is massive. Having these final weeks to learn under Shesterkin and Quick is already massive for the 2020 fourth-round pick. New York would do well to put him on the ice in MSG to at least take the next step after showing much patience last season. Even as a backup, it wouldn't hurt to start Garand as much as possible. They're clearly not going for it in these next few seasons, so what's the harm? These next few months are going to be interesting for the Blueshirts, but no matter what happens, has Garand earned himself a role with these Rangers yet?
