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The New York Rangers appear to be locked in on utilizing three goaltenders to close out the 2025-26 season.
On March 20, the Rangers recalled Dylan Garand from the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League, with Jonathan Quick dealing with an upper-body injury.
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Through Quick’s seven-game absence, Garand played in two games, posting a 1-0-1 record, 1.44 goals against average, and .954 save percentage.
Since Garand notched his first NHL win on March 27, we haven’t seen him play in a game, which begs the question: Will the Rangers keep him around for the remainder of the season?
As of right now, it does not appear that the Rangers have any intention of sending Garand down to the AHL, but Sullivan hasn’t given confirmation whether or not Garand will get another start.
“Would we like for Dylan to get another start? Potentially, yes,” Sullivan said. “We’ll see how it goes moving forward. We have a game plan for him.”
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Having three goaltenders up at the same time creates some complications in terms of finding opportunities for all three of them.
Garand served in a backup role behind Shesterkin for much of Quick’s absence, being a healthy scratch for the past two games upon Quick’s return to practice.
Each goalie has been a participant in practice, but it’s difficult to split the repetitions equally, with Shesterkin and Quick receiving most of the work.
Through conversations with Rangers president and general manager Chris Dury as well as goaltending coach Jeff Malcolm, Sullivan has formulated a plan to navigate the three-goalie rotation.
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“We have a game plan,” Sullivan said of the Rangers’ three-goalie rotation. “Chris Drury and I have had a conversation around this, so we’re very much on the same page on what we think is best and why. That was a lengthy discussion. It’s not a decision that we make lightly. I’ve talked to Shesty, Quickie and Dylan around a tentative game plan on what we think this whole thing might look like…
“Sometimes certain guys go out before practice, and they get repetition. Sometimes it’s after practice. Certain guys split the net during the formal practice, depending on what that looks like. The point is, the logistical aspect of that (Jeff Malcolm) and I have had discussions around.”
Sullivan has made clear that, despite the Rangers being eliminated from playoff contention, Shesterkin is still the starting goaltender.
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The Rangers have five games remaining this season, and with no back-to-backs in store, it’s possible Shesterkin starts every game to close out the 2025-26 campaign.
Even with the lack of opportunity to get game action at the NHL level, Sullivan believes there is value in keeping Garand with the Blueshirts and allowing him to learn under Shesterkin and Quick.
“I think Quickie and Shesty have been great mentors for Dylan Garand right now,” Sullivan emphasized. “I can see that relationship developing. The example that those two guys set for a guy like Dylan, it’s great for Dylan to be around these guys… I think a guy like Dylan right now being around these guys, I think there’s huge value in that, and a huge benefit in that.”
The Rangers’ backup goaltending position is up for grabs come next season, and given Garand’s breadth of experience in the AHL and the fact that Quick’s one-year, $1.55 million contract will expire on July 1, it isn’t far-fetched to assume that Garand could take over the position backing up Shesterkin and replace Quick.
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The dilemma Sullivan seems to have on his hands is wanting to offer Garand more opportunities in order to see what the organization truly has in him, while also giving Quick the respect he deserves, who could very well be playing in his final NHL season at 40 years old.
“Shesty is an important guy to us. He’s the number one guy here, and arguably the best goal in the game. We’ve had a lot of conversations lately about Quickie and what he means to the New York Rangers,” Sullivan said. “Just his body of work, and certainly, we are respectful of that. We’re trying to do the right thing by all of our guys.”
Sullivan has continued to be tight-lipped regarding this three-goalie rotation, so it remains a mystery how it will evolve over these last remaining games.
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