Dylan Garand’s Sudden Rise Changes Everything for the Rangers

The New York Rangers host the Philadelphia Flyers at Madison Square Garden on Thursday, November 5, 2026, at 7:00 PM EST.

Dylan Garand is the projected starting goaltender for the Rangers.

James Reimer left his first start after the opening period and has since missed time with an upper-body injury.

Joonas Korpisalo was assigned to AHL Hartford on a conditioning loan Wednesday.

Korpisalo is expected to start against the Hershey Bears before the club evaluates whether he is ready to return.

The Rangers acquired Korpisalo from Boston over the offseason for a 2028 fourth-round pick and Kalle Vaisanen.

Korpisalo missed the start of the season with a lower-body injury and a foot infection.

He has appeared in 334 NHL games, going 140-126-38 with a 3.06 goals-against average and a .900 save percentage.

Hartford's game marks Korpisalo's first AHL appearance since October 29, 2022.

He becomes the fifth goaltender used by the Wolf Pack this season.

The organization had expected Korpisalo to back up Igor Shesterkin following Jonathan Quick's retirement.

Korpisalo also owns 16 career playoff appearances, with a 2.56 goals-against average, a .922 save percentage and two shutouts.

With Reimer injured and Korpisalo in Hartford, Garand steps into the starting role.

Garand has not made an NHL start this season.

The Rangers are 8-7-1 with 17 points in the 2026-27 season.

The Flyers are 4-9-4 with 12 points.

Philadelphia dropped to 4-9-4 after falling behind 3-0 and losing 4-2 to Minnesota, with a late comeback bid falling short.

Denver Barkey scored his first NHL goal in that game.

Trevor Zegras drew a misconduct after banging his stick and barking at a referee.

The Flyers face a five-game road trip following this game.

Rasmus Ristolainen is back on the trade radar.

Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos placed the 31-year-old defenseman on his second trade board of the season.

Kypreos cited Ristolainen's expiring contract, his size and his right shot.

Ristolainen was activated from injured reserve on Oct. 24 after missing nine games with a broken bone in his left hand.

He returned on the third pair alongside Hunter McDonald, logging 14:34 and two points.

Travis Sanheim has carried a heavy load at 25:44 per game.

On the blue line, Emil Andrae's availability on the waiver wire has prompted talk of a reunion with the organization that moved him.

The Rangers' projected lineup features Pavel Dorofeyev, Mika Zibanejad and Alexis Lafrenière on the top line.

Tye Kartye, J.T. Miller and Gabriel Perreault form the second line.

Kartye has 4-7-11 in 16 games with the Rangers.

His $1.25 million contract puts him at around $114,000 per point, third lowest in the entire NHL.

Kartye, picked up off waivers in February this year, has 9 goals and 16 assists for 25 points in 40 games.

That is a 51-point pace over an 82-game season and a 52-point pace over the new 84-game season.

The Flyers' projected lineup starts Trevor Zegras, Christian Dvorak and Travis Konecny on the first line.

Tyson Foerster, Denver Barkey and Owen Tippett form the second line.

Porter Martone, Noah Cates and Matvei Michkov make up the third line.

Cole Knuble, Sean Couturier and Noel Acciari round out the fourth line.

Joseph Woll and Dan Vladar are the Flyers' goaltenders.

The Rangers' power play first unit features Alexis Lafrenière, Gabriel Perreault, Pavel Dorofeyev and Mika Zibanejad.

The Flyers' power play first unit includes Porter Martone, Denver Barkey, Matvei Michkov, Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale.

Garand's sudden rise to the starting role changes the Rangers' goaltending depth chart.

The team now has three goalies in various states of readiness: Shesterkin, Garand and Korpisalo on loan.

Reimer's upper-body injury timeline has not been disclosed.

Korpisalo's conditioning loan gives the Rangers a window to evaluate his health without burning a roster spot.

Garand's performance tonight could influence the organization's next move.

The Rangers have $79 million committed to next season with 4 forwards, 5 defensemen, and 2 goalies signed.