Dylan Garand’s Preseason Performance in Goal

Dylan Garand’s position at the start of training camp illustrates the challenge he faces in competing with Joonas Korpisalo for the role of backup to Igor Shesterkin.

On Monday, Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan provided Garand with a complete preseason game to showcase his skills. Garand managed to hold off the Devils’ NHL lineup for nearly 58 minutes, playing behind a squad primarily made up of AHL players. Ultimately, Jack Hughes, who has a notable record of 35 points in 26 regular-season games against the Rangers, slipped in the game-winning goal during a close 3-2 loss at Prudential Center. Garand tallied 27 saves and demonstrated strong moments before Hughes’ goal with 2:12 left in the game.

“Yeah, maybe,” Garand replied when asked if he felt he made a statement. “I mean, I’ve just been trying to give my best every day, work hard, and compete. There’s a lot that I can’t control, so I’m really just focusing on shutting out the noise in my head and giving it my all.”

Throughout the game, the 24-year-old made notable saves. For instance, with the score tied in the third period after Drew Fortescue leveled things, Garand prevented Hughes from finding the net with a clear shot. He also played a pivotal role in helping the Rangers avoid conceding during a late first-period power play. Sullivan mentioned that the Devils created some challenging opportunities, but “Dylan made some crucial saves in those situations.”

The Devils scored their first goal with just over eight minutes left in the second period. A pass from Meier deflected off Dennis Cholowski and reached Nico Hischier, whose shot took a cue off Urho Vaakanainen and went in. Following Anton Blidh’s equalizer, Meier restored the Devils’ lead with less than a minute left in the second period, curling behind the net to sneak a shot past Garand.

Given the condensed preseason, Garand’s previous three-game stint from the 2025-26 season, where he posted a .948 save percentage and a 1.62 goals against average, might not suffice to keep him off waivers. However, it could be enough for the Rangers to cope with the logistical challenge of maintaining three goalies for the start of the season.

Yet, for almost 60 minutes, he continued to assert himself. “We’re trying to give them a chance to make an impression,” Sullivan noted about allowing Garand to play a full game. “And with the training camp being shorter and having fewer games, we felt this was the right course of action.”

As the Rangers began working on special teams in training camp, they retained many elements from previous seasons while also introducing new dynamics. Pavel Dorofeyev, with his left-handed shot, joined veterans like Adam Fox and Mika Zibanejad, alongside J.T. Miller and Alexis Lafrenière. Defenseman Sean Durzi led the second power-play unit, supported by Gabe Perreault, Will Cuylle, Oliver Bjorkstrand, and Eeli Tolvanen. Sullivan expressed confidence that this unit “can once again be a difference-maker for us.”

Postgame, Sullivan addressed the status of forward Adam Sykora and defenseman Vincent Iorio, both being assessed for lower-body injuries. Sykora left the game during the first period after taking a hard hit and appeared to be favoring his right leg.

The Rangers also revealed they will don a patch for the Garden of Dreams Foundation this season, replacing Mark Messier’s “Game 7” patch from the previous season.