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Jonathan Quick’s retirement announcement will have a profound impact on Dylan Garand.
With Quick set to retire at the end of the 2025-26 season, the New York Rangers’ backup goaltending position moving forward is up for grabs, and there’s no doubt that Garand is the best positioned to land the job.
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As Quick served as Igor Shesterkin’s backup over the past three seasons, Garand was making a name for himself in the American Hockey League with the Hartford Wolf Pack, emerging as the Rangers’ top goalie prospect.
Since being selected by the Rangers in the fourth round of the 2020 NHL Draft, Garand has played in 165 AHL games.
He established himself as one of the premier goaltenders in the AHL, to the point where he was named to represent Team Canada at the 2025 IIHF Men’s World Championship in Stockholm, Sweden.
“I’ve spent a lot of time in the American League. I’ve played a lot of games down there,” Garand said. “They say if you play more than 100 games in the American League, that’s a good amount of experience, and I’ve played 165, so that helped me just keep developing, and not rush my development, and be more ready for the transition when that time comes.
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“It’s the second-best league in the world, so to spend a lot of time down there, and the World Championship, was a really good experience for me too. My experience for sure has helped.”
The Rangers recalled Garand from the Hartford Wolf Pack on March 20 since Quick was dealing with an upper-body injury, as he finally got his first taste of NHL action.
The 23-year-old goaltender has started in two games, posting a 1-0-1 record, 1.44 goals against average, and .954 save percentage.
While two games are a short sample size, Garand showed his readiness to take on an NHL role in the future.
Garand hasn’t started a game since notching his first NHL win on March 27 against the Chicago Blackhawks, but the Rangers have still opted to keep him around despite not giving him any more starts, which has raised some confusion.
Dylan Garand Hoping Time He Puts In With Rangers Now Will Help Him In The Future
Dylan Garand Hoping Time He Puts In With Rangers Now Will Help Him In The Future Will Dylan Garand play another game for the New York Rangers this season?
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Quick’s retirement announcement puts all the pieces together, and it explains why the Rangers decided to keep Garand around.
“Obviously, I want to be here, and that’s got to be earned,” Garand said. “It’s been great to get an opportunity. Like I said, I’ve been waiting a long time for it. It’s been great to be here right now, kind of getting familiarized with the guys, with the coaching staff, and things like that. Hopefully that helps me move forward.”
The Rangers could still realistically go out and sign another goaltender in the offseason to serve as the backup, but Garand has perfectly positioned himself to take over that role, and he should be given an opportunity to earn a spot on the roster come training camp.
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