Who should back up Rangers goalie Dylan Garand following Igor Shesterkin injury?

Dylan Garand takes over at goalie

Whilst Rangers fans are understandably high on 24-year-old Dylan Garand, who has made a most promising start to his NHL voyage, it’s patently unfair to place all of the workload on a young man with just five NHL appearances on his resume. Yet, with veteran Joonas Korpisalo out until early November, that’s exactly what faces Garand and the Rangers.

Garand aside, the only fit goalie with big-league experience in the Rangers system is the underwhelming Spencer Martin. Behind him are interesting prospects in Callum Tung and Gabriel Carriere. Putting either of them behind Garand would be a monumental gamble.

The Rangers desperately need at least one more veteran netminder in the bullpen. The question is who?

Options for backup Rangers goalie

There have been multiple calls for future Hall of Famer Jonathan Quick to come out of retirement. The beloved veteran has acted as a mentor to Garand and would be a calming presence for the youngster, as well as the defense, when he’s called upon. Who knows what sort of shape he’s in, though.

Looking at the trade market, might Rangers general manager Chris Drury look to Jordan Binnington in St. Louis? The Stanley Cup winner has been comfortably supplanted by Joel Hofer. In the final season of a six-year deal at $6 million annually, the Blues would likely be keen to move off Binnington. 

Placing Shesterkin on long-term injured reserve would open up more than enough space to accommodate Binnington’s contract. He has a 10-team no-trade list, so he could conceivably block any trade to New York. That said, you could see head coach Mike Sullivan opting for a platoon arrangement between Garand and whoever steps in as his backup. Assuming he can see off the middling Korpisalo, Binnington will be putting himself in the shop window as he approaches free agency.

In Montreal, Sam Montembeault was once seen as the future. Now, he’s third choice behind Jakub Dobes and Jacob Fowler. As another goalie who is a pending free agent (at a palatable $3.1 million), the 29-year-old needs to get his career back on track in the worst way. Like Binnington, a platoon arrangement would allow him to re-establish his stock without overloading him.

Of course, there is a familiar option sitting there, should the Rangers decide to take it. Former Pittsburgh keeper Matt Murray (not to be confused with his Nashville namesake) is currently unattached. The 32-year-old got his NHL start and won a pair of Stanley Cups under Sullivan in Pittsburgh. He spent last season with Seattle, making just five appearances. Despite not picking up a win, his numbers (2.21 GAA, 92.2 percent SV%) are positive, small sample size notwithstanding. That said, he’s a shadow of the keeper he once was.

So, in which direction do the Rangers move?

Do they hope that Garand and Martin can hold the fort until Korpisalo returns? Is it the familiarity of Murray? Or does Drury look to swing a trade for a short-term fix? After a superb offseason retooling, Drury’s next move might prove his most important.