That next opportunity never came for Halak, who officially retired as a professional player Friday. The 40-year-old goalie finished his NHL career with a 295-189-69 record, 2.50 goals-against average, .915 save percentage and 53 shutouts (26th all-time) over 17 seasons.

“It’s been two years and I’ve come to terms with not reaching 300,” Halak told Dennik Sport in a story translated from his native Slovak. “Looking back on my career, it’s been a good one. It would have been nicer with 300 wins, but I’ll be happy with 295.”

After 581 NHL games, Jaroslav Halak is hanging up the skates.

Best of luck in retirement! 👏 pic.twitter.com/UErJMw4rLz

— NHL (@NHL) July 18, 2025

Halak was a ninth-round pick and the 271st player overall selected in the 2003 NHL Draft. He played for seven teams — the Montreal Canadiens, St. Louis Blues, Washington Capitals, New York Islanders, Boston Bruins, Vancouver Canucks and the Rangers.

Twice in his career, Halak was part of a goaltending tandem that won the Jennings Trophy for allowing the fewest goals in the NHL. He did so in 2011-12 with Brian Elliott of the Blues, and again in 2019-20 with Tuukka Rask of the Bruins.

He had 20 or more wins seven times, including an NHL career-high 38 with the Islanders in 2014-15, when he was selected to play in the All-Star Game.

Related: ‘Grateful’ former Rangers defenseman pens heartfelt message after trade to Hurricanes

Jaroslav Halak retires, played final NHL season with Rangers

Halak had some consistent success against the Rangers, particularly when he played for the Islanders from 2014-18 — he won 11 of 14 decisions against the Blueshirts during those four seasons. Perhaps tired of facing him, the Rangers signed Halak to be Igor Shesterkin’s backup in 2022-23 following his one-year stint with Canucks.

Appearing in 25 games (24 starts) with the Rangers, Halak was 10-9-5 with a 2.72 GAA, .903 save percentage and one shutout. But the Rangers opted to sign Jonathan Quick to be Shesterkin’s backup in the summer of 2023 and Halak was left without a job.

Halak was winless in his first six decisions with the Rangers (0-5-1), though he allowed more than three goals just once during that span. He finally picked up his first win with them on Nov. 30, 2022, a 3-1 road victory against the Senators in Ottawa.

After a loss to the Chicago Blackhawks in his next start, Halak reeled off seven consecutive victories from Dec. 17, 2022 – Feb. 11, 2023. He allowed 15 goals in that stretch.

Halak made 22 saves for his only shutout with the Rangers, a dominating 7-0 victory over the Nashville Predators at Madison Square Garden on March 19. Six nights later, he backstopped a win against the Florida Panthers, before Halak lost the final three games (0-1-2) of that season, and his career.

“Last year I completed summer training. I wanted to go on the ice in Boston, but when nothing came of it, I told myself it was pointless. After that I didn’t even try anymore,” Halak explained. “I’m officially ending my career. I would like to thank my family, friends, fans and especially my wife Petra, who has been by my side my entire career.”

Surprisingly, out of those players, 11 are former New York Rangers still looking for new deals. As the NHL inches closer to training camp and eventually opening night, let’s take a look at some familiar names.

Latest Rangers news and rumors here.

Former unsigned New York Rangers

Patrick Kane (Last season with NYR: 2022-23)

Three-time Stanley Cup champion Patrick Kane is rehabbing from hip surgery, so he has yet to sign a new contract with any team. Ultimately, the longtime member of the Chicago Blackhawks came to New York in a blockbuster trade last season and dressed in only 19 games before entering free agency for the first time in his career. Although there are many rumors regarding his future, no one should count out New York as one of his preferred destinations when he’s ready to return.

Jaroslav Halák (Last season with NYR: 2022-23)

Interestingly, Jaroslav Halák has been in the NHL for 17 years and a member of seven clubs, most recently serving as Igor Shesterkin’s backup for 25 games in 2022-23. Although he’s 38 years old, he can still play at a high level, which means he could land a PTO or a contract as a backup somewhere in the league. Recently, he told the media he’s interested in being a number two and not playing as a team’s third-string netminder.

Tyler Motte (Last season with NYR: 2022-23)

Of all the available free agents, Tyler Motte is the only player on the list to skate with the Rangers twice. Initially drafted by the Blackhawks, he came to New York via a trade with the Vancouver Canucks in March 2022. After leaving as a free agent, Motte returned to the Rangers at last season’s trade deadline. Ultimately, he is a free agent with no offers to return to the Blueshirts.

Update 9/9/23: Tyler Motte signs one-year deal with Tampa Bay Lightning for $800,000

Libor Hájek (Last season with NYR: 2022-23)

As the last player remaining from the Ryan McDonagh and J.T. Miller trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2018, Libor Hajek is a free agent for the first time. Even though he’s skated in 110 games over the past five seasons, there’s no room for him in New York, playing just 16 games last year. Unfortunately, the second-round draft pick (37th overall) never took advantage of his opportunities with the Rangers, resulting in an offer to try out for the Pittsburgh Penguins this year.

Anthony Bitetto (Last season with NYR: 2020-21)

During the offseason in 2020, Anthony Bitetto came to the Rangers as a free agent and skated in just 14 games with the team, instead spending most of his tenure in the AHL with the Hartford Wolf Pack. Eventually, New York traded him to the San Jose Sharks in March 2022, where he continued to play in the AHL. He recently joined the Florida Panthers organization in June 2022 but has yet to play in the NHL since May 8, 2021. 

Nick Holden (Last season with NYR: 2017-18)

Nick Holden remains on the sidelines as a veteran defenseman with 654 games without contract offers for 2023-24. After skating with the Rangers from 2017 to 2019, he bounced from Boston to Vegas to Ottawa, where he played 65 games last year. Even though he’s 35, he averaged over 19 minutes a night during his career and could serve as a reserve defender somewhere. 

Update 9/13/23: Nick Holden retired and accepted a job with the Vegas Golden Knights

Derek Stepan (Last season with NYR: 2016-17)

As another Rangers draft pick in 2008, Derek Stephan played his first seven seasons in New York before moving on to Arizona, Ottawa, and, most recently, Carolina. However, he is less productive at 32 than in the early part of his career, with just 11 points in 73 games last year. Considering he’s been a leader with the Rangers and Coyotes, a team out there will eventually give him a chance to make an impact in the room and on the bench.

Eric Staal (Last season with NYR: 2015-16)

After winning the Stanley Cup and spending most of his career with the Carolina Hurricanes, Eric Staal ended up on Broadway, skating in 20 games in 2015-16. However, he didn’t stay with the club and has played with four teams since then, most recently skating with the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final. Even though he’s 38 years old, he scored 29 points last year and provided invaluable leadership during a Cinderella playoff run.

Derick Brassard (Last season with NYR: 2015-16)

As a free agent with over 1,000 games of experience, it is surprising to see a depth player like Derick Brassard still available. Although he’s played with ten franchises over 16 years, he had his most productive years with the Rangers from 2013 to 2016. Interestingly, Brassard had his best season, with 23 points, in three years, which means he can still contribute and skate in a team’s bottom six nightly.

John Moore (Last season with NYR: 2014-15)

After 12 seasons in the NHL, veteran defenseman John Moore is a free agent again. Initially, he began his career with the Columbus Blue Jackets and came to New York in the Marián Gáborík trade in 2013. Eventually, he left as part of the Keith Yandle trade with the Arizona Coyotes in 2015. Since then, he’s played with the New Jersey Devils and Boston Bruins, last skating in the NHL during the 2021-22 season. 

Michael Del Zotto (Last season with NYR: 2013-14)

Out of all the former Rangers players who are still free agents, Michael Del Zotto is one of two players initially drafted by the franchise. After breaking into the league as a 19-year-old in 2009, he played five years on Broadway before skating with seven other clubs. Although he hasn’t played in the NHL since April 23, 2022, he’s been active in the AHL, seeing action in 65 games last year. 

Note: Del Zotto announced his retirement on September 6, after this article was published.

Full list of free agents at CapFriendly

Upon returning to action in 2005-06, New York finally had the chance to let Henrik Lundqvist play, their hidden gem from the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. By the time he reached Broadway, he was already voted Sweden’s player of the year, a two-time SHL champion, and a Silver Medalist at the World Championships. Ultimately, he was the goalie of the future and immediately dressed in 53 games in his first season, compiling a 30-12-8 record. 

Realistically, when Lundqvist started his first game, he ushered in a new era for the franchise, becoming their number-one goalie for the next 15 seasons, playing in 887 games. Although he ended up splitting the duties in his final season (2019-20) with Alexandar Georgiev and Igor Shesterkin, the official history of starters in New York since 2005 goes directly from Lundqvist to Shesterkin. 

Statistically, for the last 18 years, the Rangers have had a bona fide starter, with Lundqvist and Shesterkin skating in 1,045 games, or 74.4% of the club’s games (1,404). Additionally, they combined to win 558 contests, which surprisingly accounts for 74.3% of the team’s 751 wins during this time.

So, after acquiring three-time Stanley Cup champion Jonathan Quick this summer to replace Jaroslav Halak, he becomes the 18th netminder (excluding Lundqvist and Shesterkin) to put on a Rangers sweater since 2006.

In this article, we’ll explore who the backups were, their statistics, and impact on the team over the past 18 seasons. 

Related: Reliving Henrik Lundqvist’s Vezina winning season

Henrik Lundqvist had many partners in his first nine seasons

In 2005-06, the Rangers employed three goalies: Lundqvist, Kevin Weekes, and Chris Holt. As mentioned, King Henrik started the most games with 53, while Weekes played in 32 and Holt dressed for one. Interestingly, Weekes returned in 2006-07, skating in 14 games, while Holt never played for New York again. 

During that 2006-07 season, Steve Valiquette made a few appearances (three) to kick start a run as the official team backup, a role he had for three seasons. Altogether, during this stretch, he played in 34 games over three seasons, eventually sharing the duties with Chad Johnson (five games), Matt Zaba (one game), and Alex Auld (three games) in 2009-10. 

Johnson would see his tenure extend into the 2010-11 season (one game), joining recently acquired free agent Martin Biron (17 games) during his first season in New York. Eventually, Biron would hold down a spot in the lineup until 2013-14, playing in 29 games, before Cam Talbot joined the ranks with 21 appearances that year. Although Talbot only played two campaigns with the Rangers, appearing in an additional 36 games in 2014-15, he shared the bench with Mackenzie Skapski, who played twice that season. 

During his first nine years in the league, Lundqvist shared the crease with ten goalies, who played 199 games and combined for an 89-66-19 record (44% win percentage), compared to his 620 games and 339-208-65 record (54% win percentage). 

New York Rangers goalie shuffle

Starting in 2015-16, Lundqvist shared the crease for two seasons with Magnus Hellberg (three games) and Annti Raanta (55 games). Then, in 2017-18, the Rangers employed Ondrej Pavelec (19 games), Brandon Halverson (one game), and Georgiev (10 games). Ultimately, that year marked the beginning of the Georgiev era since he would be Lundqvist’s only partner in 2018-19 (33 games) before Shesterkin debuted, playing 12 times in 2019-20. Although New York had three world-class netminders on the roster, Georgiev led the trio with 34 games during the shortened season. 

After the Rangers bought out Lundqvist’s contract after the 2019-20 campaign, Shesterkin became the number one, resulting in fewer games for Georgiev. During the 2020-21 season, he skated in 19 games, while Keith Kinkaid came up for nine. Ultimately, the duo continued playing behind Shesterkin in 2021-22, with Georgiev working 33 games, Kinkaid one game, and Adam Huska playing once.   

Once Shesterkin won the Vezina Trophy in 2021-22, the team let Georgiev walk in free agency (signed with the Colorado Avalanche) and restructured their goalie platoon by signing free agent Jaroslav Halak. Realistically, at 37 years old, Halak was on the backend of his career and played just 25 games, which is what fans should expect for 37-year-old Quick during the 2023-24 season.

As the Rangers dealt with the end of Lundqvist’s Hall of Fame career while ushering in the Shesterkin era simultaneously, the team employed eight netminders to serve as backup since the 2015-16 campaign. Ultimately, these skaters played in 243 games and earned a 104-83-22 record, equalling a 42.7 win percentage. Meanwhile, Lundqvist and Shesterkin combined for 425 games, a 219-144-46 record, and a 51.5 win percentage.

Historical Perspective

Without splitting hairs, the recent Rangers’ starting goalie lineage dates back to 1989-90, when Mike Richter debuted. Immediately after he retired due to concussions in 2002-03, the team scrambled to find his replacement, running with five netminders in 2003-04. 

During his 14 years between the pipes, Richter backstopped New York to a Stanley Cup victory in 1994, playing 666 games and compiling a 301-258-73 record. Interestingly, the team relied on 16 backup goalies to play on his off days, with these players dressing in 529 games, registering a subpar 196-220-64 record. 

Overall, since 1989-90, the year Richter debuted on Broadway, the Rangers have played 2598 contests, with a 1275-1027-144-152 record. Collectively, Richter, Lundqvist, and Shesterkin combined to skate in 1711 games (65.68%) and earned an 859-610-73-111 record. Meanwhile, during this time frame, the 34 backups combined to play in 971 games, sporting a 389-369-64-41 record. 

Before anyone gets their calculators out to highlight any errors, there is a difference between the two totals, 27-48-7, the record of the 2003-04 Rangers, who employed five goalies between the Richter and Lundqvist eras. 

Ultimately, New York’s number one goalies have won 50.2% of their games over 30 years, while the plethora of backups is less at 40.0%. Considering the Rangers have won 49.0% of their regular season games since 1989, the team has more success when their stars backstopped them on a nightly basis.

We all knew this would be the case. However, it was interesting to see how much action the backups have seen since 1989, given the lengthy injuries sustained by Richter, Lundqvist, and Shesterkin throughout their careers.

In addition to that news, rumors have surfaced that pending UFA goalie Jonathan Quick may land with the Rangers this summer. According to TFP’s David Pagnotta, New York is a potential destination for the two-time Stanley Cup winner.

Jaroslav Halak to test free agency

Halak registered a 10-9-5 record with a 2.72 GAA along with a .903 save percentage in 2022-23. For his career, he’s just 5 wins away from the 300 victory milestone sitting at 295-189-68 with a 2.50 GAA and a .915 save percentage.

Last summer, Halak signed a one year-deal for $1.5M as a free agent on July 13, 2022. The Rangers were likely looking to execute a similar deal or one for less AAV leading to his decision to become a free agent.

Jonathan Quick a notable UFA

Quick, 37, has had a remarkable career and won the Stanley Cup with the Los Angeles Kings in 2012 and 2014. Rangers fans will painfully remember his second title because it came at the expense of their beloved Blueshirts and Henrik Lundqvist. Quick was also a member of the Vegas Golden Knights championship squad this year, but did not play in the playoffs.

His career numbers are impressive at 375-277-84 with a GAA of 2.47 and .911 save percentage. However, Quick struggled last season posting 3.41 GAA and .882 save percentage split between the Kings and Golden Knights.

One potential consideration that could play in the Rangers favor is that Quick grew up idolizing 1994 Stanley Cup winner Mike Richter. A potential one-year deal for less than the $1.5 million Halak earned in 2022-23 may make his choosing New York a real possibility.

Of course, with the Rangers having less than $12 million this summer to sign K’Andre Miller and Alexis Lafreniere, they could turn to Hartford Wolf Pack veteran backstop Louis Domingue.

The 31 year-old was a big reason why Hartford ended a long playoff drought dating back to the 2014-15 campaign. He did so by posting a record of 22-12-8 record with 4 shutouts, a 2.51 GAA, and a .911 save percentage.

Domingue is also one of those rare goalie who catches with his right hand. That would be a nice change of pace when facing opponents in a home-and-home series.

For his NHL career, Domingue’s numbers stand at 59-60-10 with a 3.04 GAA, and a .905 SV%. Although his salary cap hit of $775,000 would be a perfect fit, the Rangers may want to go with a more proven big league backup.

It’s just nice to know that if they strike out on the free agent market, they will have a fallback option in Domingue.

In Hartford, 31-year-old veteran Louis Domingue is signed through the 2023-2024 season with an NHL cap hit of $775,000 and Dylan Garand (21) has two years left on his Entry Level Contract. Also under contract are Talyn Boyko (20) who has two years until Restricted Free Agency, while Olof Lindbom is entering the final season of his ELC at age 22. 

As of this writing, 21-year-old Hugo Ollas is the only unsigned amateur goaltending prospect in the New York Rangers organization. Ollas will enter his junior year with Merrimack University, having led the team to the Hockey East finals in the NCAA. Expect Ollas to remain at the collegiate level beyond this upcoming season, as he split goaltending duties for the Warriors with Zachary Borgiel, while freshman Steven Bacovsky also saw brief action during the 2022-2023 season. 

General Manager Chris Drury did not select a goaltender in the 2022 draft. The year prior, Talyn Boyko was selected in the 4th round (112^th overall). 2020 saw then General Manager Jeff Gorton pick Dylan Garand 103th overall in the 4^th round, and the organization took a chance on Swedish goaltender Hugo Ollas at 197^th overall in the 7^th round.

Countryman and future Hall of Famer Henrik Lundqvist was also selected in the 7^th round (205^th overall) back in 2000 by Senior Advisor and Alternate Governor Glen Sather. The 2019 NHL Draft class did not include a goaltender for the New York Rangers, while Olof Lindbom was the first netminder to have his name called in the 2^nd round (39^th overall) back in 2018. 

Rangers should target a goaltender in the draft

According to CapFriendly, the New York Rangers currently posses five picks heading into the 2023 NHL Draft. They retained their own first round selection (23^rd overall). The 91^st overall selection in the third round, originally belonging to the Colorado Avalanche, acquired in the deal for Alexandar Georgiev. The 152^nd overall selection in the fifth round acquired from the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for the rights to Jayden Grubbe. In the sixth round, New York holds the 178^th overall selection, acquired from the Winnipeg Jets as part of the trade involving Andrew Copp and Morgan Barron, as well as their own 6^th round pick (183^rd overall).  

With their earlier picks in the first and third rounds, the Rangers will be looking to draft the best player available (preferably a forward who can play center), though it would be wise for the team to restock the proverbial cupboard with depth at positions of need in the later rounds. 

One goaltender the Rangers might target with one of the fifth or sixth round selections they hold is Stephen Peck, born January 18, 2005 in New York, NY. NHL Central Scouting lists Peck as the number 7 North American goalie in their Final Rankings for 2022/2023 and his name is among the Top 10 goalies for the 2023 NHL Draft. Listed as 6’2’ and 174 lbs on his Elite Prospects page, Peck backstopped the Winged Beavers of prestigious Avon Old Farms School to a New England Championship (NEPSAC), while also winning the coveted Christmas Classic Tournament.

The name should be familiar to New York Rangers fans, as the school was also the alma mater of 1994 Conn Smythe Trophy winner and former captain Brian Leetch (Class of 1986). Other Stanley Cup Champions to have played at Avon Old Farms include Jonathan Quick (Class of 2005) and Nick Bonino (Class of 2007). Cam Atkinson, Trevor Zegras, and Spencer Knight have also spent time playing for the Winged Beavers. 

For the 2022-2023 season, the goaltender had seven shutouts in 28 games, while sporting a 1.26 goals against average and a save percentage of .948. He ended the year with the Yale Jr. Bulldogs 18U AAA, and was also invited to and participated in the USA Hockey National Goaltending Camp in May of 2023 at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Michigan.

Peck is committed to play in the NCAA for the powerhouse University of Michigan Wolverines, though he will likely spend the 2023-2024 season in the USHL with the Muskegon Lumberjacks, who own his rights. As an eighteen-year-old committed to play in the NCAA for the next few years, the Rangers would be wise to select the goaltender in the draft and watch his development with a strong system at the University of Michigan. Having not taken a netminder in last year’s draft, and with only one amateur prospect in the system, we could be seeing Chris Drury plan for the future in net by adding an additional goaltender to the prospect pool. 

In Pierre LeBrun’s latest column for The Athletic (subscription required), Allan Walsh noted his client wants to play in the NHL next season.

“We’ve had some preliminary conversations with the New York Rangers about the future but the focus on their end has been on hiring a head coach,” Walsh told LeBrun via text. “Now that is done, I expect to have more conversations with Chris Drury as we head towards July 1st.”

Rangers talk extension with Jaroslav Halak

It’s now clear that Halak feels like he has at least one more season in him, so the Rangers would probably like to bring him back.

Despite a slow start to last year, where he won only once in 8 starts (1-6-1), he settled down and rattled off 7 straight wins from December to February. That streak also coincided with the Rangers turning their campaign around as well.

“Every time you join a new team, maybe you try too much and somehow you’re squeezing the stick a little more,” Halak said after finding his game. “I guess when my record wasn’t the best, I told myself, ‘Don’t worry about those games, turn the page and keep moving forward.’ That’s what I wanted.”

The 38 year-old backup posted a solid 10-9-5 record with a 2.72 GAA and a .903 save percentage in 2022-23.

For his career, Halak is just 5 wins away from the 300 milestone. He currently sits at 295-189-68 with a 2.50 GAA and a .915 save percentage.

Halak signed a one year-deal for $1.5M as a free agent on July 13, 2022. If the Rangers could find a way to get him to sign for less, it would help their cap situation immensely.

Per PuckPedia, the Blueshirts have $11,762,918 in cap space with 14 players from last season under contract. 

As we look ahead to the 2023-24 campaign, PuckPedia, estimated that the Blueshirts will have around $11,762,918 to fill out a roster that has just 14 signed.

Here’s our predictions for what is likely to happen with the Rangers pending UFAs.

Related: Predictions for New York Rangers RFAs

New York Rangers UFAs

Vladimir Tarasenko: A strong man both on and off the puck, the 31 year-old was a nice fit to the Rangers style of play. He registered 50 points in 69 games this season while adding 3 goals and 4 points in 7 playoff matches. Although I wouldn’t rule out a return for Tarasenko, who values how he and his family are treated, once he hits the open market it will be tough for the Rangers to compete. Teams looking at Tarasenko will be contenders with cap space and the possibility of giving him 5+ years at $7 million or more.

Prediction: Rangers will attempt to re-sign him but unless they can shed Barclay Goodrow’s contract, I don’t see it.

Patrick Kane: The 34 year-old forward admitted to not being 100% after the Rangers were eliminated by the Devils. This offseason, he will be looking at what steps to take on his nagging hip injury to be at full strength. As for where he may be suiting up in 2023-24, it’s unlikely to be the Rangers, who have little cap space and key restricted free agents (Alexis Lafreniere and K’Andre Miller) to re-sign.

Prediction: Rangers may wait to see what Kane does about his hip and if he’ll be out for a lengthy amount of time. There’s a slim chance they could sign him and then put him on LTIR. In the end, I think Kane becomes a UFA. Is a homecoming with the Buffalo Sabres in the cards? That’s where I think he ends up.

Tyler Motte: The 28 year-old forward was really impressive in his second post trade deadline stint with the Blueshirts. Motte registered 5 goals and 5 assists in 24 regular season contests with the Rangers and is open to a return. If GM Chris Drury is willing to give Motte some security in terms of years on his contract, I believe the Rangers can retain him.

Prediction: The Rangers and Motte will come to terms on at least a 3-year deal with an AAV around $1.25M to $1.55M.

Niko Mikkola: The 27 year-old defenseman played very well for the Rangers since coming over with Tarasenko from the St. Louis Blues. Mikkola will certainly draw enough interest on the open market as a 6-4, 210 pounds physical blue-liner.

Prediction: Rangers are unlikely to afford a multi-year deal with an AAV north of $2 million, so he will walk.

Jaroslav Halak: If the 38 year-old backstop feels like he has one more season in him, the Rangers could easily go back to the well liked veteran. Despite a slow beginning where he won only once in 8 starts (1-6-1), he settled down and rattled off 7 straight wins from December to February to help turn both his and the team’s season around.

Prediction: Rangers need to save on every penny, but if Halak is up for another one-year deal at $1.5 million or less, he could come back.

When the Rangers fell to the New Jersey Devils in Game 7, it marked the end of Jaroslav Halak’s one-year deal with the team. With limited cap space, estimated to be around $11,762,918 per PuckPedia, a low-cost replacement is part of general manager Chris Drury’s offseason agenda.

Shesterkin will once again be given the majority of starts for next season, so the ideal backup will play somewhere around 25 games. That requires a certain veteran mindset to be ready to go even if your last start was well over a week ago.

Let’s dive into some potential candidates.

Rangers Rumors: Louis Domingue a consideration?

The Rangers were impressed with how Louis Domingue performed in last season’s first-round playoff match as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins. He was forced into Game 1 after Casey DeSmith was injured and won a triple OT contest on Garden ice. His gutsy performance led to a two-year deal with New York at an AAV of $775,000.

This season, the 31 year-old veteran is a big reason why the Hartford Wolf Pack ended a long playoff drought dating back to the 2014-15 campaign. He did so by posting a record of 22-12-8 record with 4 shutouts, a 2.51 GAA, and a .911 save percentage.

Domingue is also one of those rare goalie who catches with his right hand. That would be a nice change of pace when facing opponents in a home-and-home series.

For his NHL career, Domingue’s numbers stand at 59-60-10 with a 3.04 GAA, and a .905 SV%. Although his salary cap hit would be a perfect fit, the Rangers may want to go with a more proven big league backup.

It’s just nice to know that if they strike out on the free agent market, they will have a fallback option in Domingue.

Free Agent Options

When it comes to veteran goalies that could backup Shesterkin, there’s a few unrestricted free agent candidates that stand out. If the Rangers budget remains the same as this past season, you are looking at netminder willing to take a one-year deal at around $1.5 million.

Here’s my top five:

Jaroslav Halak (2022-23 Stats: 10-9-5, 2.72 GAA, .903 SV%)

If Halak feels like he has one more season in him, the Rangers could easily go back to the well liked veteran. Despite a slow beginning where he won only once in 8 starts (1-6-1), he settled down and rattled off 7 straight wins from December to February to help turn both his and the team’s season around.

Cam Talbot (2022-23 Stats: 17-14-2, 2.93 GAA, .898 SV%)

Talbot is one of two UFA goalies that has played with the Rangers before. In two seasons as Henrik Lundqvist’s backup from 2013-14 to 2014-15, he was superb posting a 33-15-5 record with a GAA of 2.00 and a .931 save percentage. Already familiar with the pressures of playing on Broadway, he could be a nice add if he’s willing to take a pay cut and a lesser role.

Antti Raanta (2022-23 Stats: 19-3-3, 2.23 GAA, .910 SV%)

Another former Blueshirt and Lundqvist understudy is Raanta. He actually replaced Talbot as Hank’s backup for two seasons from 2015-16 to 2016-17. A fan favorite, Raanta posted a record of 27-14-4 with the Rangers. He did so on the strength of a 2.25 GAA and a .921 save percentage. Plus, he’s well versed with the competition in the Metro Division having played with the Carolina Hurricanes the last two years.

Thomas Greiss (2022-23 Stats: 7-10-0, 3.58 GAA, .896 SV%)

Prior to the Rangers inking Halak, Greiss was a goalie that Drury was believed to have his eye on before he signed with the St. Louis Blues. The 14-year veteran struggled last year, but so did the entire Blues team. He’s certainly someone that may be an option if the others don’t pan out.

Alex Nedeljkovic (2022-23 Stats: 5-7-2, 3.53 GAA, .895 SV%)

Once considered one of the top up and coming goalies, Nedeljkovic had a disastrous campaign with the Red Wings. However, this is a goalie that exploded onto the scene with the Hurricanes in 2020-21 recording a .932 save percentage and a 1.90 GAA in 23 games. What better way for him to resurrect his career by signing a one-year deal to backup Shesterkin while learning from goalie guru Benoit Allaire.

While the game didn’t matter for either team as they’re cemented in their respective division standings, it was still a nice little tune up for postseason action. Both sides played a free skating game with limited physicality, and produced an entertaining affair at the Garden that saw a Filip Chytil goal with 1.2 seconds on the clock disallowed for a kicking motion.

“I am proud of the guys with the way they played,” Gerard Gallant said. “Happy with the way we finished.”

After last night’s games were completed, the Rangers learned that the New Jersey Devils will officially be their first round opponent. The NHL has announced dates for Games 1 and 2 of the series.

Game 1: Rangers at Devils (Tuesday, April 18)
Game 2: Rangers at Devils (Thursday, April 20)

Rangers close out regular-season

The Rangers and Leafs played a cautious but quick first period with both sides coming away scoreless after 20 minutes.

Kaapo Kakko opened the scoring 1:38 into the second period with a nice backhand shot by Joseph Woll. It all started with a turnover that Vincent Trocheck took advantage of to get Kakko his 18th of the year and fourth goal in his last seven matches.

AirBread + Kaapo goal. 🤝 pic.twitter.com/z7Nahm0eka

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) April 14, 2023

Leafs defenseman Timothy Liljegren got a lucky goal that changed direction on Jaroslav Halak after Niko Mikkola’s block attempt deflected off his stick just 3:09 into the final frame.

Artemi Panarin responded a few minutes later with a rip from the circle to regain the lead on the power play. Adam Fox and Mika Zibanejad assisted on the tally. For Fox, it was his 60th assist this season making him the only other Rangers’ defender since Brian Leetch to record multiple 60 assist seasons.

Shoot. Your. Shot. 😰 pic.twitter.com/fpbXZpD6S6

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) April 14, 2023

A little over a minute later, the Rangers fell asleep at the wheel and watched William Nylander tie it all alone in front.

Noel Acciari netted the eventual game-winner at the 12:21 mark by following up his own shot and scoring an unassisted goal through Halak, who finished with 18 saves.

“We had our ups and downs for sure,” captain Jacob Trouba said. “We know what we’re capable of, we know what the goal is. I like our team heading into the playoffs and we’re ready to get this going.”

The Rangers concluded the evening with their annual “Jersey off our Backs” ceremony.

Isaiah: You’re our inspiration.

We can’t wait to see you right back here after Troubs watches you graduate law school. pic.twitter.com/GUU8FhQHFM

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) April 14, 2023

The Rangers, who sit in third place in the Metropolitan Division, are four points behind the second-place Devils, who would hold home-ice advantage in the best-of-seven series under the current standings.

Here’s tonight’s game and broadcast info:

New York Rangers (44-21-10) vs. Buffalo Sabres (35-31-7)
Date/Time: March 31, 2023 at 7:00 PM ET
Arena: KeyBank Center
TV: MSGSN
Radio: ESPN 1050

How to Watch the New York Rangers in 2023

Rangers take on Sabres

New York allowed first-period goals to Erik Haula and Timo Meier, and the Rangers could only muster Chris Kreider’s 33rd goal in the match’s remainder.

By scoring for the sixth time in the past 10 games, Kreider notched the 262nd goal of his career, tying him with Vic Hadfield for fifth all-time in franchise history.

The loss broke the three-game winning streak of the Rangers, who are 9-2-1 in their past 12 games.

“They were fast and they were quick and that’s how they play,” Rangers coach Gerard Gallant said of the Devils. “We don’t know who we’re playing yet (in the playoffs), but if this is the team, it’s a good matchup. We’ll see where it goes.”

Added New York defenseman Adam Fox: “This was a big game for us standings-wise, but playing a team like Buffalo, those points matter just as much, too.

With nine games remaining on their regular-season schedule, the Buffalo Sabres face a daunting task to make the Stanley Cup playoffs.

When Buffalo completes its two-game homestand Friday night with a matchup against the New York Rangers, the Sabres should have a pretty good understanding of whether or not their longshot aspirations of postseason play still exist.

Barring a collapse by both the Pittsburgh Penguins and Florida Panthers, the Sabres (35-31-7, 77 points) will have the steepest of uphill climbs to keep playing well into April.

With Pittsburgh and Florida both winning on Thursday night, Buffalo fell seven points behind the Penguins and six back of the Panthers in the chase for the final Eastern Conference wild card.

However, the Sabres do have an X factor in all of this if they can get within striking distance.

They have nine games left, including Friday’s, while Pittsburgh and Florida have seven and six to go, respectively.

Rangers Notes

Jaroslav Halak is expected to get the call in between the pipes for the Blueshirts. The 37 year-old veteran has a career mark of 13-4-0 with a GAA of 2.08, and a .923 save percentage.

Ryan Lindgren is expected to miss this contest after tweaking his shoulder injury last week.

–Field Level Media

–Forever Blueshirts contributed to this article