Dylan Garand Competes for Rangers Backup Goalie Position

Dylan Garand's performance during the early stages of training camp highlights his competition with Joonas Korpisalo for the role of backup to Igor Shesterkin. Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan provided Garand with a full preseason game on Monday, where he played for nearly 58 minutes against the Devils’ NHL lineup, finishing with 27 saves in a 3-2 loss. The game-winning goal was scored by Jack Hughes with 2:12 remaining. Garand expressed his focus on competing and controlling what he can. Throughout the game, he made several key saves, including stopping Hughes during a critical moment. The Devils scored their first goal with just over eight minutes left in the second period, and after Anton Blidh tied the game, Meier scored again to give the Devils the lead. Garand's previous performance in the 2025-26 season, where he had a .948 save percentage and a 1.62 goals against average, may not be sufficient to avoid waivers, but it could influence the Rangers' decision on their goaltending situation. Sullivan emphasized the importance of giving players the opportunity to make an impression during the shortened training camp. Additionally, the Rangers are evaluating forward Adam Sykora and defenseman Vincent Iorio for lower-body injuries. The team announced they will wear a Garden of Dreams Foundation patch this season, replacing the previous season's patch.