NY Rangers Trading for Joonas Korpisalo Was a Puzzling Move

The New York Rangers making a trade for Joonas Korpisalo was a puzzling move this summer.

Apr 7, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Boston Bruins goaltender Joonas Korpisalo (70) looks on against the Carolina Hurricanes during the third period at Lenovo Center. / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It has been a very busy offseason for the New York Rangers, and the team is looking much improved heading into next season. However, they did make one decision that was an interesting one. 

Coming into the summer, the Rangers were expected to be one of the most active teams in the league. This was a group that came in last place in the Eastern Conference and had plenty of holes to fill. 

So far, the results for the team have been pretty good. New York was able to add a proven scorer up front in Pavel Dorofeyev. At just 25 years old, he could be a key part of the team for a long time, coming off a 37-goal season. 

Furthermore, on the blue line, the team was able to make some new additions for their second pair. Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson were both acquired in trades and figure to be a really solid second-pair for the Rangers. 

Also, due to the retirement of Jonathan Quick, the backup goalie spot was one that needed to be filled for New York. Even though he had a small sample size of playing last year, Dylan Garand figured to have the inside track for the role. However, a surprising trade to bring in Joonas Korpisalo from the Boston Bruins has put a major wrench in those plans. 

Garand Will Have Hard Time Finding Role 

Mar 27, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers goaltender Dylan Garand (33) during the third period against the Chicago Blackhawks at Madison Square Garden. / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While Korpisalo is a good player and a strong backup, it was a surprising move made by the Rangers to acquire him. Garand figured to be ready to take on the role of being the backup to Igor Shesterkin, but adding a player of the caliber of Korpisalo changed that. 

With the veteran goalie making a good amount of money, it would be shocking to see him not as the backup going into next season. That is certainly disappointing for Garand, who played very well in three games for the team last year. 

While New York adding a goalie did make sense with Garand still being a bit unproven, they could have gone with a much cheaper option that wouldn’t have blocked his playing time. 

Based on the trade, it would be shocking to see Garand in the mix for New York this season, and it will almost certainly be Korpisalo as the backup. While the team might still give him a chance in camp, something would really have to go badly for Korpisalo not to be the backup to start the year.