Similarities Between Rangers’ Dylan Garand & Cam Talbot

The New York Rangers have gotten off to a 7-3-1 start even though star goalie Igor Shesterkin is out for the season with a lower-body injury, and backup goalie Joonas Korpisalo is also on injured reserve with a lower-body injury. Rookie Dylan Garand has stepped up and made the most of his opportunity to start in goal, and there are similarities between him and former Rangers goalie Cam Talbot, who was excellent for them in 2014-15 when Henrik Lundqvist was out injured.

Garand’s Strong Start

Losing Shesterkin for the season just a few games into 2026-27 is a devastating blow for the Rangers, and with Korpisalo out, Garand, who was waived in September, is now their starting goalie. They were fortunate to retain him, and he has looked comfortable making the transition to the NHL.

The Rangers drafted Garand in the fourth round of the 2020 NHL Draft, and he has spent most of the previous four seasons with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League (AHL). His best season with them came in 2024-25 when he went 20-10-8 with a 2.73 goals-against average (GAA) and a .913 save percentage (SV%). He briefly played for New York late last season, making three starts and going 2-0-1 with a 1.62 GAA and a .948 SV%.

Garand began this season as the Rangers’ backup goalie with Korpisalo out, and he made 22 saves and shut out the Detroit Red Wings on Oct. 2 in his first game of the season. He has been their starter since Shesterkin’s injury on Oct. 9, and he has continued to play well and put the team in position to win. He is 4-2-1 with a 1.85 GAA and a .929 SV%.

Garand has made clutch saves in close games, has shown impressive lateral quickness, and has fought through screens with traffic in front of the net. The Rangers have killed 94.1 percent of their penalties this season, and he has played a big role in their success. He stopped 28 of 29 shots and helped them steal a point in a 1-0 overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Oct. 17 and stopped 29 of 31 shots in a 5-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks on Oct. 19.

Talbot’s Impressive 2014-15 Season

Like Garand, Talbot spent a few seasons developing in the AHL before reaching the NHL. He made his NHL debut in 2013-14 and did a great job as Lundqvist’s backup, going 12-6-1 with a 1.64 GAA and a .941 SV%.

During the 2014-15 season, Talbot again played well as the Rangers’ backup, but when Lundqvist suffered a neck injury and was out for one and a half months, he stepped up. In March, he allowed two goals or fewer in nine consecutive games. He stopped all 21 shots he faced in a 1-0 win over the Calgary Flames on Feb. 24 and stopped all 29 shots he faced in a 1-0 shutout victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on March 8.

The Rangers were a talented team, but they relied heavily on their defense and goaltending, so they played lots of close games with Lundqvist out, and Talbot repeatedly came up with clutch saves. He showed impressive quickness and rarely allowed soft goals. He finished with a 21-9-4 record, a 2.21 GAA, and a .926 SV%, and he played an integral role in New York winning the Presidents’ Trophy.

While Lundqvist returned later that season, Talbot’s strong play proved that he deserved to be a starting goalie in the NHL. The Rangers traded him to the Edmonton Oilers after the 2014-15 season, and he became their starter. At 39, he is now in his 14th season and plays for the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The Rangers Need Garand to Continue Playing Well

While Lundqvist returned in 2014-15 and helped the Rangers make a run to the Eastern Conference Final, Shesterkin is expected to miss the entire season. Like Talbot, Garand is quick, has strong positioning, stays calm in big moments, and in his first seven games, he has made timely saves in close games. They need him to continue playing at a high level and build on his impressive start, and the hope is that he can remain consistent for the entire season.