Garand first in line for backup goalie job after re-upping with Rangers
Dylan Garand appears to be first in line to serve as Igor Shesterkin’s backup in goal after agreeing to a two-year contract with the New York Rangers on Sunday. The deal carries an $875,000 cap hit, according to PuckPedia. It’s a two-way deal for the first season; he’ll make $850,000 in the NHL and $400,000 with Hartford of the American Hockey League.
Year 2 is one way for $900,000; he’ll be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights at the end of the deal in 2028.
The odds of Garand making the Rangers next season are pretty good. He’s no longer waiver-exempt, meaning he either makes the Rangers’ NHL roster in 2026-27 or they’ll have to put him through waivers — giving another team the chance to claim him — to send him to the AHL. With Jonathan Quick now retired after the 2025-26 season, Garand figures to have the inside track on becoming Shesterkin’s backup.
“I’m definitely hungry to play in this league, and for this organization,” Garand said at Rangers breakup day in April. “It’s very motivating for me going back [home] in the summer. To be here and see what it takes. Now I know what I need to do this summer to come in and be prepared to put my best foot forward and execute.”
Garand made a significant impression on the man he hopes to back up.
“He’s awesome,” Shesterkin said of Garand. “He worked hard. He’s a pretty good guy in the locker room. I think he’s gonna have a bright future.”
The 24-year-old impressed in three late-season starts after the Rangers recalled him from Hartford of the American Hockey League in late March. He was 2-0-1 with a 1.62 goals-against average and .948 save percentage, becoming the first Rangers rookie goaltender to earn at least one point in each of his first three NHL appearances since Henrik Lundqvist in 2005-06.
Dylan Garand aims for backup role after re-upping with Rangers
Garand made 35 saves in his NHL debut on March 22, a 3-2 shootout loss to the Winnipeg Jets at Madison Square Garden, then got his first win five days later by stopping 27 of 28 shots in a 6-1 win against the Chicago Blackhawks at MSG. He earned his first road win in the Rangers’ season finale by making 29 saves in a 4-2 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Before finishing the season with the Blueshirts, Garand appeared in 36 games with Hartford, and was 16-15-2 with a 2.83 GAA and .896 save percentage. He won six of his final nine AHL starts, allowing more than two goals in only one of those nine games.
The Rangers picked Garand in the fourth round (No.103) of the 2020 NHL Draft. He played in 148 AHL games during parts of five seasons, all with the Wolf Pack, where he was 65-57-18 with a 2.90 GAA, .901 save percentage, and nine shutouts. In addition, Garand played in 17 Calder Cup Playoff games, posting a 10-7 record with a 2.21 GAA, .927 save percentage, and two shutouts. He represented the Wolf Pack in the 2025 AHL All-Star Challenge and established AHL career-bests in wins (20), GAA (2.73) and save percentage (.913) in 2024-25.
Before turning pro, Garand spent parts of five seasons with Kamloops of the Western Hockey League. In 2021-22, his final season with Kamloops, he was named the Canadian Hockey League Goaltender of the Year. He helped Canada win gold at the 2022 World Junior Championship and silver at the 2021 event. He also played for Canada at the 2025 IIHF World Championship, posting a shutout against Slovenia in his only appearance.
Shesterkin, Garand and veteran journeyman Spencer Martin are the only goalies under contract with the Rangers, and they might bring in a veteran to challenge Garand. But he said on breakup day that he’s confident he can fend off any competition to land a full-time role in New York.
“I just believe in myself so much,” Garand said in April. “I know what I’m capable of, and I know how hard I work, day in and day out. Like I said, I’m hungry to be here, and it’s an exciting opportunity moving forward.”
