Rangers To Activate Joonas Korpisalo, Assign James Reimer

More change is inbound for the New York Rangers’ goalie room. Joonas Korpisalo will be activated off of injured reserve on Saturday after missing the start of the season with a lower-body injury and infection per Newsday Sports’ Colin Stephenson. The Rangers assigned James Reimer, who cleared waivers on Friday, to the minor-leagues to make room for Korpisalo’s return.

This swap could finally line up some relief for New York’s de facto starter, Dylan Garand. The NHL rookie has started 10 of the last 11 games while New York failed to find an impactful second-string. Garand has stood up to the heavy workload, posting a 6-6-1 record and .906 save percentage. Those marks blend with three NHL appearances last season to bring the 24 year old up to eight wins and a .916 Sv% in 16 games through his NHL career.

Now, Korpisalo will get a chance to relieve the rookie. He can’t do much worse than Reimer and Spencer Martin. Neither played a full game for the Rangers and both struggled greatly. Martin allowed three goals on 18 shots in 35 minutes of action and Reimer allowing three goals on eight shots in 20 minutes. Both earned minutes while filling in for Korpisalo’s absence.

With their latest transaction, the Rangers will finally roll out the backup they intended to begin the season with. Korpisalo was traded from the Boston Bruins to the Rangers on July 1st, with forward prospect Kalle Vaisanen and a 2028 fourth-round pick going the other way. The veteran netminder is on the fourth year of a five-year, $20MM contract signed with the Ottawa Senators in 2023. The deal preceded Korpisalo’s first bid at a true starting role, as he’d appear in 55 games with Ottawa throughout the 2023-24 season. He posted a 21-26-4 record and .890 Sv% in those minutes – marks that ultimately earned him a demotion when Ottawa sent him the other way in their acquisition of Linus Ullmark. Korpisalo spent the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons backing up Jeremy Swayman in Boston, where he combined for a 25-19-9 record and .893 Sv% in 58 appearances.

The Rangers are still a long way’s away from the goalie room they entered the season with – headlined by former Vezina Trophy-winner Igor Shesterkin. With his season ended early by injury, the Rangers have spent much of the last month scrambling for some stability in net. While Korpisalo may not bring flashy stat lines, a bill of clean health should give New York two legs to stand on – and Garand a much-needed break.

Meanwhile, Reimer will return to the minor-leagues. The 38 year old recorded a shutout in his only appearance with the Hartford Wolf Pack this season – stopping all 35 shots that he faced. He has only played one other AHL game in the last 15 years – a six-goal loss with the Belleville Senators last season.