What’s next for Rangers after Spencer Martin recalled from AHL Hartford
Spencer Martin’s whirlwind 2025-26 season took another turn Sunday, when the New York Rangers recalled the veteran goalie from Hartford of the American Hockey League.
The 30-year-old began this season playing for CSKA Moscow in the KHL. After posting a 5-6-0 record over 14 games with a 2.69 goals-against average, .905 save percentage and two shutouts in Russia, Martin had his contract terminated in mid-November.
The Rangers signed Martin to a two-year contract the next day, and immediately placed him on waivers. After going unclaimed, Martin was assigned to Hartford. He made his Wolf Pack debut Saturday and was impressive, stopping 35 of 37 shots in a 3-2 comeback win on the road over the Cleveland Monsters. Less than 24 hours later, Martin was on his way to New York, not Hartford.
The timing of his recall by the Rangers comes exactly one year to the day of Martin’s most recent game played in the NHL. On Nov. 30, 2024, Martin started for the Carolina Hurricanes and made 23 saves in an ugly 6-0 loss to the Florida Panthers.
Last season, Martin stepped in for the Hurricanes, when their No. 1 goalie — Frederik Andersen — was injured in November. Martin’s numbers as Pyotr Kochetkov’s backup weren’t great (3-4-1 with a 3.89 GAA and .846 save percentage), but he did record his first NHL shutout on Nov. 16, a 4-0 win over the Ottawa Senators, and backstopped a 4-3 victory against the Rangers on Nov. 27.
Martin also won 20 games with AHL Chicago last season, when he was teammates with defenseman Scott Morrow, whom the Rangers acquired in the offseason K’Andre Miller trade with the Hurricanes.
A third-round pick (No. 63 overall) by in the 2013 NHL Draft by the Colorado Avalanche, Martin has 66 games of NHL experience with the Avalanche, Vancouver Canucks, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Hurricanes. He’s 24-30-8 with a 3.56 GAA, .883 save percentage, and the one shutout in the NHL.
What’s next for Rangers after recalling Spencer Martin from AHL Hartford
Spencer Martin to back up Igor Shesterkin
Martin’s back in the NHL for two reasons. He’s here to back up New York’s No. 1 goalie Igor Shesterkin, because Jonathan Quick is on IR with a lower-body injury. There’s a good chance, Martin would’ve been recalled earlier, when Quick first was hurt last week, had he played at least one game for Hartford after returning from Russia.
Depending on how much longer Quick is out, Martin could spell Shesterkin and start at some point this week. Shesterkin’s started four games in a row, including in back-to-back games this weekend. He won three times this past week, allowing nine goals in the four games, and was the only reason the Rangers even had a chance in a 4-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday.
The Rangers schedule features four games this week, including a tough back-to-back at home against the Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday and Sunday.
Dylan Garand resumes No. 1 duties with Hartford
The other side of the goalie shuffle on Broadway is that rookie Dylan Garand was assigned to Hartford on Sunday. The 23-year-old was Shesterkin’s backup for all four games this past week. But when coach Mike Sullivan had the chance to give Garand his first NHL start in one of the two back-to-back games this weekend, he went with Shesterkin each time instead.
The past few seasons, whenever the Rangers needed to actually use a third goaltender in a game, they went with veteran Louis Domingue instead of Garand. In essence, the Rangers just swapped Martin for Domingue.
That allows Garand to return to his role as Hartford’s No. 1 netminder, getting his game reps in the AHL as opposed to sitting behind Shesterkin, as well. An AHL All-Star last season when he won 20 games, Garand is 3-6-2 with a 2.96 GAA and .897 save percentage with Hartford this season.
