With how poorly the last two seasons have gone for the New York Rangers, one veteran player who has been a leader in the locker room has been Jonathan Quick. He has surprised many with how well he has played since arriving in New York, but it seems like his time with the team and maybe in the NHL is coming to an end. With the Rangers looking to go in a younger direction and Quick not having the best season, it feels like the right time to move on from him. If they do decide to move on, maybe it signals to him that his career could be coming to an end.
Rangers Got More Than Expected From Quick
When the Rangers signed Quick in the 2023 offseason, he was coming off a year in which he got traded to the Vegas Golden Knights, and while he did win a Stanley Cup, he didn’t play any games in the playoffs and was the third-string goalie. He started that season with the Los Angeles Kings and put up some really bad numbers. He had a record of 11-13-4 with a 3.50 goals-against average (GAA) and a .876 save percentage (SV%). He did put up better numbers with the Golden Knights as their backup, sporting a record of 5-2-2 with a 3.13 GAA and a .901 SV%. Fans had low expectations for him when he signed with the Rangers, but from the moment he got here, he’s done more than what was asked of him.
In his first season with the team, he had a record of 18-6-2 with a 2.62 GAA and a .911 SV%. He was arguably the best backup goalie in the league that season and helped the Rangers win the Presidents’ Trophy. Even with how bad the team performed last season, Quick still had a winning record, going 11-7-2 with a 3.17 GAA and .893 SV%. With how poorly this season has gone for the team overall, Quick’s play has also taken a hit, as he has a record of 6-16-2 with a 3.09 GAA and a .893 SV%. While his poor numbers are not entirely his fault, his play has taken a step back this season, and with him now being 40 years old, it seems like a good time to move on.
Rangers Have Dylan Garand Waiting In The Wings
If Quick does end up retiring or the Rangers decide to move on, they are going to need to find a new backup for Igor Shesterkin. They could sign a veteran backup in the offseason, but one player who should get a look and who will likely be the backup goalie next season is Dylan Garand. He was a fourth-round pick of the team in the 2020 NHL Draft and has spent parts of five seasons in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Hartford Wolf Pack. He has been the full-time starting goalie for the Wolf Pack for the past two seasons and put up good enough numbers that he got his first taste of NHL action this season.
Related: New York Rangers’ Rookie Forwards Have Provided a Spark
Garand has started two games for the Rangers this season, posting a 1-0-1 record with a 1.44 GAA and a .954 SV%. While it is a very small sample size, he has shown that he has the skills to be a goalie in the NHL, and he should be considered the favorite to be the backup to Shesterkin next season. They could sign a veteran and have Garand compete with him for that spot, but if the team wants to see what they have in their younger players, they should give him the backup role to start next season and see how he plays getting more starts at the NHL level. Learning from a player like Quick is only going to help Garand, so having him up with the team right now, even if he isn’t playing games, is a good learning experience.
Will Quick Retire or Play One More Season?
While Quick hasn’t stated if this is going to be his last season, it’s safe to assume that it will be his last with the Rangers as a player. If he does end up leaving to play somewhere else, they are losing someone who was a true locker room leader and took players under his wing. He even let Matt Rempe live with him during Rempe’s rookie season with the team. Quick is an amazing competitor and never wants the spotlight on him when he wins games. He always gives credit to his teammates for how they played in front of him.
If Quick does end up retiring, he is, no doubt, a Hall of Famer. He is a three-time Stanley Cup champion, a Conn Smythe Trophy winner, a two-time Vezina Trophy finalist, and is the winningest American-born goalie in NHL history with 410 career wins. While he was considered the enemy when the Kings and Rangers played in the Stanley Cup Final in 2014, he has become a fan favorite during his time in New York. If he does retire, maybe he sticks around with the team as a goalie coach or an advisor. Having him still be around the team would definitely be a benefit to the players.
It’s safe to say that Quick’s tenure with the Rangers went way better than expected. He looked like a player who shouldn’t have been in the NHL anymore, and from the moment he arrived in New York, he showed he still had plenty left in the tank. Three seasons later and with the Rangers looking to move in a younger direction, Quick’s time with the team is likely coming to an end. The question now is, will he look to keep playing on another team, or will this season be the last of his NHL career?
