What’s next for Rangers after Jonathan Quick announces NHL retirement
What felt likely, and perhaps even inevitable late this season, became official Monday when Jonathan Quick told reporters that he’s retiring from the NHL after making one more start with the New York Rangers against the Florida Panthers later that evening.
The 40-year-old goalie said he’s known for a while that this would be the end of his 18-season NHL career. It sure had that vibe nine days ago, when Quick made his most recent start at Madison Square Garden, a sterling performance in a 4-1 Rangers victory punctuated by an extended postgame curtain call.
“With the ups and downs the season, you don’t really want to admit it to yourself, you know? So, as we kind of got towards the end of the season here, I let [general manager Chris Drury] know and ‘Sully’ (coach Mike Sullivan) know. Just so they can plan accordingly,” Quick explained after the morning skate. “I’m grateful for them. They’ve helped me out through this process. And let me know games I’m going to start so I can make sure to get the family there and stuff like that.”
Heading into his final NHL start, Quick has 410 wins on his resume, 12th all-time in NHL history and most among United States-born goalies. He’s a three-time Stanley Cup champion, backstopping titles for the Los Angeles Kings in 2012 and 2014 — the latter in five games over the Rangers — and serving as the Vegas Golden Knights’ third goaltender in 2023.
Since 2023-24, Quick’s been Igor Shesterkin’s backup on Broadway, as well as a respected and inspirational leader on and off the ice for the Rangers. Though he didn’t play a single game during the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Quick’s teammates praised him for his leadership behind the scenes during a run to the Eastern Conference Final. Last season, he won the Rod Gilbert Mr. Ranger Award.
This season didn’t go so well for the oldest goalie in the NHL, especially when he was pressed into full-time duty after Shesterkin sustained a lower-body injury in January. Ahead of his final appearance, Quick is 6-16-2 with a 3.09 goals-against average, .893 save percentage and two shutouts in 24 games (23 starts) this season.
Over three seasons with the Rangers, he’s 35-29-6 with a 2.94 GAA, .900 save percentage and seven shutouts in 75 games (69 starts).
What’s next for Rangers after Jonathan Quick retirement announcement
The Rangers are going to miss Quick on many levels moving forward. He and Shesterkin have serious mutual respect and formed a solid 1-2 punch between the pipes. The rest of the roster also clearly looked up to Quick, a likely future Hall of Famer, and his words carried much weight inside the locker room.
So, what’s next for Rangers, now that it’s clear Quick won’t be back in 2026-27?
Dylan Garand opportunity
The heir apparent to replace Quick as Shesterkin’s backup appears to be Dylan Garand. New York’s fourth-round pick (No. 103 overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft will be 24 years old next season, his fifth in professional hockey. He’s played mostly with Hartford of the American Hockey League for four seasons, and was an AHL All-Star in 2024-25, when he won 20 games.
Better yet, Garand sparkled in his first two NHL starts late this season, earning First Star honors in each contest, when he stopped 62 of 65 shots in a regulation win and shootout defeat. Coach Mike Sullivan praised Garand for his poise, and it was very evident that the kid was ready for the moment.
His play with Hartford was pretty inconsistent this season. That’s similar to the first two years of his career, when he struggled during the regular season, but starred in the Calder Cup Playoffs. Perhaps he just needs the big stage to perform his best. But buying into that theory 100 percent is risky. So, don’t just expect the Rangers to hand the No. 2 job to Garand — who, by the way, is a pending restricted free agent with arbitration rights this offseason.
Plan for competition
Barring a trade for a backup goalie — which appears very unlikely — the Rangers need to add one in free agency. But this is where it gets a bit tricky. How much do the Rangers believe in Garand? If it’s a lot, then they must target a veteran goalie willing to play in the AHL, assuming Garand is the heir apparent for the No. 2 job in New York. But if the Rangers are unsure and sign a legit NHL No. 2, with the plan to let Garand marinate longer in the minors, how does their top goalie prospect handle that?
Let’s start with this. Outside of Garand, there isn’t another goalie in the system worthy of being Shesterkin’s permanent backup with the Rangers. Spencer Martin is more of an emergency veteran option, not a full-timer. Callum Tung is less experienced and not as big a prospect as Garand, not to mention nowhere near ready for the NHL.
So, the Rangers could target a No. 2 like Eric Comrie, the 30-year-old longtime understudy to Connor Hellebuyck with the Winnipeg Jets. Or David Rittich, who’s 33 and coming off a strong season as the Islanders No. 2. A younger intriguing option, perhaps, is Daniil Tarasov, who’s the backup with the Panthers and just 27 years old.
Each is an affordable UFA option and would come to camp as the presumed backup favorite, pushing Garand to the No. 3 role.
If the Rangers view Garand as the favorite, then a more likely path is to add a veteran who’s in the AHL now, seeking a similar role with the Rangers to be No. 3 on the depth chart. Former Rangers draft pick Brandon Halverson, who’s now 30 and in the Tampa Bay Lightning organization, fits that mold. A younger option is Cayden Primeau (27), who played in the NHL with the Montreal Canadiens and just had a good season in the minors for the Carolina Hurricanes organization.
Perhaps Cal Petersen or Pheonix Copley makes sense to be the safety net behind Garand. There are plenty of veteran UFA goalies with NHL experience who played well in the AHL this season to choose from.
The bigger names — Sergei Bobrovsky, Frederik Andersen, Cam Talbot — don’t make sense for the Rangers. But might Sullivan have interest in reuniting with Matt Murray? He’ll be 32 next season, played just seven NHL games since 2022-23 due to injuries and currently is on leave from the Seattle Kraken due to a family matter. But he and Sullivan did win consecutive Stanley Cup championships together in Pittsburgh with the Penguins, so if there is anything left in the veteran goalie, perhaps the Rangers show interest.
Drafting at least one goalie is a must
The Rangers last selected a goalie in the NHL Draft back in 2021, when the nabbed Talyn Boyko in the fourth round (No. 112 overall). Before that, Garand and Hugo Ollas (seventh round, No. 197 overall) were picked in the 2020 draft.
Considering the lack of quality depth among prospects at the goaltender position within the organization — no, neither Boyko nor Ollas moves the needle — it’s time for the Rangers to select a goalie or two in the upcoming draft. The Rangers have 11 picks right now in the 2026 draft. A goalie should be targeted in the middle rounds on Day 2. That has nothing to do with Garand or where he ends up next season; rather, it’s time to build organizational depth at the goalie position.
