The Rangers already have a goaltending issue to navigate in the first week of the season.
Backup goalie Joonas Korpisalo is being placed on injured reserve with a lower-body injury, according to The Post’s Mollie Walker. Korpisalo, who participated in a brief practice Wednesday but not in a lightly attended optional skate Thursday morning, is week to week, and the Blueshirts recalled Dylan Garand — who lost the competition to serve as the No. 2 goalie behind Igor Shesterkin in training camp — from AHL Hartford ahead of their home opener against the Lightning on Thursday.
It’s unclear when Korpisalo’s injury occurred, but the IR designation means that he’ll need to miss at least seven days — which would make him eligible to return for the Rangers’ Oct. 9 game against the Capitals.
Rangers goaltender Joonas Korpisalo (70) during a preseason game against the New Jersey Devils. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Korpisalo, 32, played in their third preseason game against the Devils, making 20 saves in regulation and then another three in the shootout win. He was acquired from the Bruins in July for a fourth-round pick and a prospect.
The emergence of an early goaltending injury, though, underscores the risk the Rangers took when they placed Garand on waivers earlier this week. He cleared and was assigned to the Wolf Pack, but they risked losing the 24-year-old to another team — and that would’ve depleted the organization’s depth. Spencer Martin would’ve been the next option to get called up.
Dylan Garand #33 of the New York Rangers makes a first period save against the New Jersey Devils. Getty Images
Now, with Korpisalo out, Garand could go from not making the Rangers roster out of training camp to potentially starting in their third game — with Shesterkin starting the home opener and the Blueshirts concluding a back-to-back in Detroit on Friday.
Matt Rempe, who entered with uncertainty about his Rangers future and admitted over the summer that he had a lot to prove, said it was “definitely exciting” when he made the roster. Rempe started training camp rotating in as an extra forward before getting the first reps on the fourth line, and he knows that his next challenge is figuring out a way to carve out a consistent role — and sticking in the lineup.
“I had belief in myself and what I do,” Rempe, who was scratched in favor of Jaroslav Chmelar on Thursday, told The Post. “There’s always uncertainty, but you just gotta go.”
The first portion of the Rangers schedule features five games in eight days following a condensed training camp, and head coach Mike Sullivan said that they’re “trying to keep everybody involved here early in the season.” Adam Fox only skated 18:25 against the Bruins on Tuesday — which Sullivan said won’t be a normal occurrence — while Marcus Pettersson and Sean Durzi both logged over 23 minutes. Mika Zibanejad (18:31) and Alexis Lafrenière (18:17) were the only forwards on the ice for more than 16:20.
Across their first week of games, the Blueshirts also held a light practice Wednesday — initially scheduled as a day off until a power outage at their training center forced them to cancel Sunday’s practice — and an optional morning skate Thursday.
“I think all the teams are facing this challenge,” Sullivan said of not having a lot of time to work with, “and I think there’s gonna be an element this early part of the season of trying to build that foundation of fitness that’s required to become the team that ultimately we want to become.”