Rangers Looking To Split Goaltending Workload With Joonas Korpisalo Returning To Lineup

Joonas Korpisalo is set to make his New York Rangers debut on Saturday afternoon against the Seattle Kraken after a lengthy stint on injured reserve.

After the Rangers’ opening-night game on Sept. 29, Korpisalo was placed on injured reserve due to a lower-body injury.

He recently resumed practicing and joined the Hartford Wolf Pack for a conditioning stint, starting in the team’s 4-1 loss to the Hershey Bears, in which he made 34 saves on 37 shots.

“Well, there was buildup, obviously, to Korpi's return to play, just as far as workload in practice and then getting 10 people in front of him in a game situation,” Sullivan said. “That's sometimes difficult to simulate in practice. Based on the progression of the workload, that's when we felt that, from a readiness standpoint, that Korpi is in a position to succeed.”

Igor Shesterkin went down with a season-ending injury on Oct. 9, forcing Dylan Garand to start 10 of the Rangers’ last 11 games.

Now, with Korpisalo back in the fold, it takes some pressure off Garand, with the Rangers intending to find a way to split both of their workloads moving forward.

“To get Korpy back is huge for us. He’s obviously a quality goaltender,” Sullivan said. “It gives us the ability to share the workload a little bit. We’re excited to get him back in the mix, but I think the guys did a great job. Nobody’s looking for excuses.

“We’re trying to win with the group that we have, and the expectations don’t change. That’s the mindset. That’s the approach we’ve all taken.”

The Rangers acquired veteran goaltender Joonas Korpisalo from the Boston Bruins on July 1 in exchange for a 2028 fourth-round pick, with the intention that he’d serve as Igor Shesterkin’s backup.

With Shesterkin out for the remainder of the 2026-27 season, Korpisalo’s role will be different than originally anticipated.