Wendell Cruz-Imagn ImagesJoonas Korpisalo helped lead the New York Rangers to a 4-3 preseason win on Thursday night against the New Jersey Devils.
Over the offseason, the Rangers acquired Korpisalo from the Boston Bruins in exchange for Kalle Väisänen and a 2028 fourth-round pick.
The 32-year-old goaltender knew going into the summer he might be traded, so he wasn’t caught off guard when the Rangers dealt him to New York.
“I knew there was a possibility of getting traded,” Korpisalo said. “I just didn’t know where. When I got the call and found out I was a Ranger, I was pretty happy. That was cool.”
The Rangers made it clear going into training camp that they wouldn't just hand the backup goaltending job to Korpisalo; he would have to compete with Dylan Garand to earn the spot behind Igor Shesterkin.
Through the entirety of training camp, Korpisalo has been practicing with the majority of the players who will be on the Rangers’ opening-night roster, while Garand has been practicing with the players slated to start the season in the American Hockey League with the Hartford Wolf Pack.
Korpisalo’s spot on the roster may be safe, but Mike Sullivan indicated that holding three goalies to kick off the 2026-27 campaign is not off the table since Garand is not waiver-exempt.
“Is that an option that is on the table for us? Yes,” Sullivan said of the Rangers potentially carrying three goalies on the roster. “It's certainly not out of the realm of possibility. I think it's very manageable in the short term. I don't think it's in the best interest of the guys in the long term for obvious reasons.”
Korpisalo made his preseason debut on Thursday night, and aside from a late goal he allowed to Amadeus Lombardi through his five hole that pushed the game into overtime, the veteran goalie had an overall steady performance.
Through the overtime frame and the shootout, Korpisalo was able to bounce back from his late-game blunder as he made some critical saves.
“I thought he was good,” Sullivan said of Korpisalo. “He made some timely saves for us. He made some big stops in the shootout, and the overtime for that manner. I thought he played a solid game.”
Korpisalo, who finished the night with 20 saves on 23 shots, was critical of himself about his play after the game when speaking with the media, emphasizing aspects of his game he wants to improve upon.
“A little sloppy in some areas,” Korpisalo said of his performance. “Overall, that was awesome to get the whole game, especially with the shootout and OT too, you get the full experience there.”
With one preseason game remaining, Korpisalo is without a doubt in line to make the Rangers’ opening-night roster, but the possibility of the Rangers carrying three goaltenders could limit Korpisalo’s starts, as this backup competition may carry over into the season.
