Status of Joonas Korpisalo Could Force NY Rangers to Make a Move

Will the New York Rangers end up having to make a move with Joonas Korpisalo out?

Sep 24, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers goaltender Joonas Korpisalo (70) checks back into the game following a timeout against the New Jersey Devils in the first period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Rangers have been off to a very strong start to the season, but there are some concerns for the team with some injuries piling up. 

Coming off a bad year, the Rangers went into the summer with an aggressive mindset and were able to improve this roster quite a bit. New York famously stated that they were going to be retooling and not rebuilding, and that has certainly been the case. 

The Rangers made a lot of upgrades in multiple areas this summer, and so far, most have worked out. While there were some pressing needs for the forwards group on the blueline, the team also needed to replace Jonathan Quick in net behind Igor Shesterkin. 

With the thought was that they were going to be going with a cheap veteran option, the team instead elected to make a trade for Joonas Korpisalo. The veteran won the backup job as expected coming out of camp, but has yet to play for the Rangers this year with a lower-body injury.  

Peter Baugh and Vincent Mercogliano recently reported that Korpisalo is dealing with a foot infection and has yet to resume skating despite the original timeline for him to return being about halfway done. 

Return of Korpisalo Seems Uncertain

Sep 24, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New Jersey Devils defenseman Topias Vilen (38) and New York Rangers goaltender Joonas Korpisalo (70) during the game at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With some uncertainty around the return of Korpisalo, the team will be continuing to use Dylan Garand as the starting goalie for the team. Garand has performed very well, and there is reason to believe that he could be an effective goalie for the team going forward. 

However, the Rangers are in the middle of a favorable spot in their schedule where it is giving Garand time to get some rest in between starts. Eventually, they are going to need to give him a break, and that’s where things could get tricky. 

With the team doing their due diligence and looking at some potential options to trade for, they have to be pleased with what they have seen from Garand so far. 

The hope will certainly be that Korpisalo will be able to come back soon, and if Garand is playing as he has been, the Rangers could end up keeping Korpisalo in the backup role like he was brought in to do. 

However, if he ends up missing more time than originally expected, it feels like New York would have to go out and add someone to help provide some relief for Garand.