Jonathan Quick May Unretire To Join Rangers

The New York Rangers are in a calamitous situation after losing netminder Igor Shesterkin for the season last night. Also without backup goalie Joonas Korpisalo for the next month, the Rangers are desperately looking for a netminder to fill the void for the foreseeable future. That goalie may come from within the organization, but not in the way you might think.

According to ESPN’s Emily Kaplan, industry belief is that, if asked, Jonathan Quick, who’s currently serving as New York’s Director of Goaltending, would come out of retirement to help the Rangers. Still, it’s not considered likely, since New York will likely look to the trade and free-agent markets first.

Unfortunately, neither market has many worthwhile options. Of note, Matt Murray, Petr Mrázek, and James Reimer remain unrestricted free agents. They would be fine in a backup role, but the Rangers may be better served by sticking with Dylan Garand, with all due respect to the veteran options.

It’s not much better on the trade market, but it’s still better. Assuming they don’t target a long-term option with Shesterkin expected back next season, the Rangers will likely call the Buffalo Sabres and San Jose Sharks. In Buffalo, the team has two backups, Alex Lyon and Colten Ellis, whereas the Sharks have Eric Comrie and Ilya Samsonov in the AHL. Furthermore, if the Sharks are serious about acquiring Connor Hellebuyck, it wouldn’t be the worst idea to thin out their goaltending pool.

Additionally, even though he’s gotten off to a subpar start to the 2026-27 season, pending unrestricted free agent Jordan Binnington of the St. Louis Blues could be an option, too. Still, the Blues may not be willing to get serious about Binnington trade negotiations this early into the season. Especially if they can artificially create a bidding war, St. Louis would be better served waiting closer to the deadline.

Those uninspiring options are what make Quick’s potential return so intriguing. Despite nearing 41, Quick is a legendary netminder and is only in the first year of retirement. Quick recently spent three years with the Rangers, the team he idolized growing up, managing a 35-30-6 record with an .899 SV% and 2.94 GAA.

Unfortunately, even if Quick returns to playing for the Rangers organization, it wouldn’t be a quick fix. Since he entered the summer believing his playing career was over, Quick likely skipped his usual summer workouts, meaning he may be a few weeks away from being able to play, at best. Regardless, given their hot start to the year, New York is desperate, and Quick may be the best option, especially if they don’t want to overpay on the trade market.