NY Rangers Reveal Goaltending Plans for Final Preseason Games

Who will be the starting goaltenders for the New York Rangers to end the preseason?

Apr 5, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin (31) skates against the Washington Capitals during the second period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Rangers are halfway through their preseason schedule already, playing one game apiece against the New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders.

They are 0-2-0 in those contests thus far, but there have been a lot of positive developments in the games despite the final scores. There have been young players standing out with their individual performances, and the newest additions to the roster are already making an impact.

Heading into the final two preseason games, against the same opponents, there is still plenty that has to be sorted out. One of the biggest positional battles ensuing is in net, where the No. 2 job behind Igor Shesterkin remains unresolved.

Dylan Garand, who started the first preseason game against the Devils, performed well, stopping 28 out of 31 shots against an NHL-caliber roster. Alas, he doesn’t look to be in the plans for the final two exhibition games.

Rangers starting Joonas Korpisalo, Igor Shesterkin to finish preseason

Apr 5, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Boston Bruins goalie Joonas Korpisalo (70) allows a goal against the Philadelphia Flyers in the first period at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

As shared by Vince Z. Mercogliano of The Athletic on X, the Rangers are planning to start Joonas Korpisalo against New Jersey on Thursday night. He is expected to play the entire game, with Shesterkin following the same plan for the game against the Islanders on Sept. 25.

With Spencer Martin being waived on Sept. 23, Garand is the only other goalie in camp. He will operate as the No. 2 behind Korpisalo against the Devils, based on lineup projections for the game.

With the condensed training camp and preseason, the appearance against New Jersey might be the only opportunity that was given to Garand to prove he should be the No. 2 goalie behind Shesterkin.

Sullivan says the plan is to play Korpisalo for the full game tonight. I would imagine Igor does the same tomorrow. #NYR

— Vince Z. Mercogliano (@vzmercogliano) September 24, 2026

He performed well, but signs are certainly pointing toward Korpisalo being the backup to Shesterkin when the regular season begins. A strong argument can be made that this is the wrong choice, especially if New York plans to place Garand on waivers and try to sneak him back through to the Hartford Wolf Pack in the AHL.

That would be an incredibly risky move. Teams rarely put in claims on players, with it occurring only 10 times with 233 players last year. But given how needy some franchises are around the league for goaltending, Garand has a higher likelihood of being claimed than a skater.

Losing the 24-year-old netminder would be a massive blow to the team’s organizational depth. Garand performed well in his NHL debut near the end of the 2025-26 season and has some untapped upside; the Rangers know what they have in Korpisalo and Martin, and it isn’t overly encouraging.