NY Rangers Have Logical Replacement for Jonathan Quick Already

Who might be the replacement for Jonathan Quick next season?

Apr 13, 2026; Sunrise, Florida, USA; New York Rangers goaltender Jonathan Quick (32) defends his net against the Florida Panthers during the third periodat Amerant Bank Arena. / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

With the season coming to an end for the New York Rangers and the offseason set to kick off, the franchise will have a few key areas that they will have to address. Following the announcement of a retirement by one of their veterans, one position will certainly be a priority. 

The 2025-26 campaign has been a massive disappointment for the Rangers, who finished with the worst record in the Eastern Conference. While the team did deal with some injuries throughout the season, they simply didn’t have the group to really contend this year. 

Now, they have positioned themselves well with a lot of draft capital and cap space heading into the summer. However, they will have some needs to address, and one more recently popped up. With the announcement that Jonathan Quick is going to be retiring, finding a new backup goalie is going to be an important area to address for the team. 

The franchise does have Igor Shesterkin in the net to provide them with an anchor heading into next season. However, he can’t play every game, and the team will need a backup that can help out. Fortunately, the team does have a logical option already in the system. 

Garand Logical Front-Runner to be Backup 

New York Rangers goaltender Dylan Garand / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Even though he hasn’t received a ton of playing time with the Rangers, the small sample size has been good, and he is a player with some potential. As a fourth-round pick in the 2020 draft, Garand is still just 23 years old and could make a lot of sense as the early front-runner to be the backup for Shesterkin next year. 

So far this season, Garand has played in two games, totaling a 1-0-1 record, 1.44 GAA, and .954 save percentage. Even though the sample size is small, it is impressive. With the Rangers not being a contender down the stretch, it is a little surprising that they didn’t look to get more playing time for Garand. However, with Quick calling it a career, it does clear the path for him to be the backup. 

Even though the team does have cap space and will undoubtedly look at veteran options as well, Garand could be a cheap option that could provide them with a spark. Since the team is retooling and not rebuilding, it’s not a sure thing that he is going to be the favorite for the backup role. However, he certainly makes a lot of sense for the team.