Rangers Make Surprising Decision On Top Goalie Prospect
Forward Taylor Raddysh was waived in the same round of moves.
Garand now has until Monday to be claimed by any of the other 31 teams, and if he clears, he'll head to AHL Hartford rather than staying in New York's organization as a backup option.
He appeared in three games for the Rangers last season and looked sharp, posting a 2-0-1 record with a 1.62 goals-against average and a .948 save percentage, making 35 saves in his NHL debut and becoming the first Rangers rookie goaltender to earn a point in each of his first three career games since Henrik Lundqvist in 2005-06.
#NYR are putting Dylan Garand and Taylor Raddysh on waivers today, per league source.
— Mollie Walker (@MollieeWalkerr) September 27, 2026
Team thinks Garand still has some developing to do and needs to be getting No. 1 goalie reps as a 24yr old. They're accepting the risk of losing him for nothing.
The Rangers believe Garand, 24, still has developing to do and needs top-of-the-crease reps in the minors rather than sitting as an NHL backup.
New York will instead rely on veteran Joonas Korpisalo behind starter Igor Shesterkin to open the season, even though Korpisalo posted a modest .894 save percentage with Boston last year.
Insider Jeff Marek didn't hide his surprise at the move, and other Rangers outlets called it outright a mistake, noting Garand had outplayed Korpisalo in the preseason.
Garand's underlying AHL numbers add nuance to the decision. He posted a 16-15-2 record with a 2.83 goals-against average and an .896 save percentage in Hartford last season, but the Wolf Pack were the worst team in the entire AHL, making his individual numbers look better in context than they do on the surface.
For now, the Rangers are betting no other team pounces before Monday's deadline.
