NY Rangers Have Incentive To Keep Dylan Garand as Backup Goalie

New York Rangers goalie Dylan Garand has a unique situation that could result in being the backup goalie.

Mar 22, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers goaltender Dylan Garand (33) warms up before a game against the Winnipeg Jets at Madison Square Garden. / John Jones-Imagn Images

The New York Rangers made their first significant move of the offseason when they signed goaltender Dylan Garand to a two-year contract.

A restricted free agent, he is coming back on a unique deal with the Rangers. The first year of the contract is a two-way deal, which he will carry a $875,000 cap hit at the NHL level. He will earn $850,000 with the Rangers NHL team and $400,000 if he is in the AHL.

In the second year of the deal, Garand will make $900,000, and it is a one-way, NHL-level contract. At the completion of the deal, he will be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights at 26 years old.

Now that he is under contract, Garand can focus on improving his skills as he will be in a battle for the backup goalie spot in New York behind star Igor Shesterkin. Right now, the only other goalie under contract on the roster with NHL experience is Spencer Martin, following Jonathan Quick’s retirement.

Dylan Garand could have inside track to backup goalie job

Apr 15, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; New York Rangers goaltender Dylan Garand (33) makes a save against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the third period at Benchmark International Arena. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

More competition could certainly be brought in, but Garand is going to have an inside track to the No. 2 job because of his unique roster situation. He is no longer waiver-exempt, which means if he does not make the NHL squad, he will be subject to waivers to send him to the AHL.

That means any team around the league could claim him and bring him aboard. That is a situation the Rangers would assuredly like to avoid, and the only way to accomplish that is to keep him on the NHL roster.

Of course, New York isn’t going to keep a player around who isn’t worthy of holding a spot and helping the team win games. In a hotly contested training camp, Garand could certainly be given the edge because he is no longer waiver-exempt, but he is still going to have to earn his spot.

He is heading into the offseason with a ton of positive momentum. His NHL debut went about as well as he could have envisioned, making three starts with a 2-0-1 record and a .948 save percentage.

Garand earned the cameo with the Blueshirts to close out the 2025-26 campaign because of how well he played with the Hartford Wolf Pack. He recorded a save percentage of at least .900 in 10 out of his last 11 starts with the club, which resulted in the promotion.

Overall, he had a .896 save percentage in 36 games at the AHL level. He looks ready for a shot at the NHL level, and it will be interesting to see how the front office handles things this summer while keeping his waiver status in mind.