The New York Rangers have re-signed goaltender Dylan Garand to a one-year, two-way contract extension, per Peter Baugh of The Athletic. The deal will carry a league-minimum, $775K salary at the NHL level. Garand was one of four remaining restricted-free agents in the Rangers system. With his deal out of the way, New York will be left with Lauri Pajuniemi, Karl Henriksson, and Talyn Boyko to re-sign.
He began his career as the backup to Louis Domingue, but has gained the edge in starts over the veteran through the last two seasons. Garand has improved his stat line in every season along the way. He posted a 13-14-3 record and .894 save percentage in 32 games of his rookie season in 2022-23. Those numbers improved just enough to win the starter’s crease in 2023-24, rising to a 16-17-5 record and .898 Sv% in 39 games. With a year of trust behind him, Garand finally broke out this year, posting a 20-10-8 record and .913 Sv% in another 39 games.
On the heels of Garand’s rise, Domingue made the decision to sign with Sibir Novosibirsk of Russia’s KHL this summer. He’ll move out of the Rangers organization after three years, leaving the role of AHL backup to a mix of Callum Tung, Hugo Ollas, and Boyko. The inexperience of those three should give Garand a perfect chance to take on a star’s workload this season.
New York is clearly expecting as much, now giving the 23-year-old a chance to set his own bar for renegotiations next summer. If he continues to succeed in upwards of 40 or 50 starts, Garand could find himself pushing to backup Igor Shesterkin in the NHL. If he falters, he’ll continue forward as the new veteran presence in a young Wolf Pack goalie room. Either way, Garand’s 2025-26 campaign will be one to watch closely.
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