Among the last round of cuts from training camp less than a week ago, the rookie netminder was in Hartford for just two practices before he was summoned back to New York for the Blueshirts’ home opener at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night and his fourth NHL start Friday night in Detroit.
asserted
he → summon → Detroit
tRY IT NOWJoonas Korpisalo was placed on injured reserve with an undisclosed lower-body injury just a few hours before puck drop in Manhattan.
asserted
Korpisalo → try → Manhattan
The Rangers said he’s considered week to week.
asserted
he → say → week
“Dylan and I have had a lot of conversations along the way,” head coach Mike Sullivan said.
asserted
Sullivan → have → way
“I had a number of conversations with him when the decision was made to send him to Hartford.
asserted
decision → have → Hartford
He knows that we believe in him.
asserted
we → know → him
I don’t know that I have to say anything else.
asserted
I → know → anything
He’s a good, solid goalie.
asserted
He → ’ → ?
And we believe in him, and we know he’s going to make saves for us.
asserted
he → believe → us
It’s crystal clear now that Korpisalo was slated for the No. 2 job since the Rangers acquired him from Boston on July 1.
asserted
Rangers → ’ → July
With a 24-year-old homegrown goalie in Garand pushing his way out of the pipeline, however, the Rangers called it a competition heading into training camp.
asserted
Rangers → push → camp
Garand maximized his first NHL opportunity last season in the form of a 2-0-1 record and a .948 save percentage, but management believes he needs to be getting starter’s reps in Hartford to continue developing.
asserted
he → maximize → Hartford
That led to the Rangers putting Garand on waivers just a few days after the Canucks claimed 24-year-old goalie Leevi Meriläinen from the Senators.
asserted
Canucks → lead → Senators
“I’m sure he was disappointed,” Sullivan said.
asserted
Sullivan → ’m → ?
“He’s a fierce competitor, and he wants to play in the NHL.
asserted
he → ’ → NHL
That’s part of his personality that we love.”
asserted
we → ’ → that
Concerns over the possibility of Garand getting claimed may have been overblown, but they weren’t unwarranted.
uncertain
they → claim → possibility
On the same waiver wire last weekend, the Jets claimed Clay Stevenson and the Devils picked up Remi Poirier.
asserted
Devils → claim → Poirier
It’s true, Garand’s sample size in the NHL isn’t quite big enough to take a flyer on, but young and untapped goalies were hot commodities this preseason.
asserted
goalies → ’ → flyer
It sure worked out for Brandon Bussi and the 2026 Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes.
asserted
It → work → Bussi
Waiving Garand ultimately worked out for the Rangers too, but only because he cleared.
asserted
he → waive → Rangers
Had Garand been claimed, this Korpisalo injury could’ve been a devastating blow to the Rangers.
uncertain
injury → claim → Rangers
After Garand, the Rangers have a shallow pool of netminders in Spencer Martin (primarily an AHL journeyman) and Callum Tung (split last season between the ECHL and AHL).
asserted
Rangers → have → ECHL
Whether you believe Garand should’ve been tabbed as the backup in the first place, Korpisalo came to New York on the heels of a volatile couple of seasons.
asserted
Korpisalo → believe → seasons
He has finished with a save percentage above .900 just once in the past six seasons, when he split the 2022-23 campaign between the Blue Jackets and the Kings.
asserted
he → finish → Jackets
Still, the Rangers naturally went with the bigger body of work than the unproven rookie.
asserted
Rangers → go → rookie
The NHL opportunity for Garand was always going to come at some point this season, especially given Igor Shesterkin’s injury history.
asserted
opportunity → go → history
It may be earlier than expected, but it’s here now.
uncertain
it → expect → ?
Garand said he never wanted to go back to the AHL, and Friday night was his first chance this season to make his case.
asserted
night → say → case
The Aporia
