The New York Rangers opened Wednesday’s free-agent frenzy by making a trade, acquiring goalie Joonas Korpisalo from the Boston Bruins in exchange for a 2028 fourth-round draft pick and forward prospect Kalle Väisänen, the teams announced.
Korpisalo is the leading candidate to back up starter Igor Shesterkin now that Jonathan Quick has retired. The 32-year-old Korpisalo has played that role in Boston over the last two seasons, posting a 14-9-6 record with a .894 save percentage, a 3.15 goals-against average and -8.94 goals-saved-above average in 2025-26, according to Natural Stat Trick. He’s compiled 334 appearances in his 11-year career, including 55 in 2023-24 with the Ottawa Senators.
The 6-foot-4, 200-pound Finn has two years remaining on a contract that carries a $3 million cap hit and a 10-team no-trade list. (Ottawa is retaining $1 million of Korpisalo’s $4 million average annual value from a previous trade.)
What it means for Rangers
The Rangers are viewing it as a competition between Korpisalo and 24-year-old Dylan Garand for the No. 2 role, according to a league source. It could create a tricky situation for whoever doesn’t get the job, with both Korpisalo and Garand needing to clear waivers before being assigned to the AHL.
Garand signed a two-year contract with an $875,000 AAV on June 21, with a two-way deal in Year 1 and a one-way deal in Year 2. The 2020 fourth-round pick finally made his NHL debut last season and performed well in three appearances (2-0-1, .948 SV% and 1.62 GAA), but his path to sticking on the NHL roster is no longer clear.
A fourth-round pick of the Rangers in 2021, the 23-year-old Väisänen posted four points in 51 games for AHL Hartford last season.
Why the Bruins dealt Korpisalo
Korpisalo, originally acquired from the Ottawa Senators in the Linus Ullmark trade, was an adequate backup for Jeremy Swayman for the last two seasons. However, Korpislao carries a $3 million average annual value over the next two seasons. Clearing Korpisalo’s AAV gives the Bruins more flexibility to add on defense.
It also allows Michael DiPietro to serve as Swayman’s No. 2. DiPietro, 27, was the AHL’s Goalie of the Year for the last two seasons. He is entering the second season of a two-year, $1.625 million contract. The Bruins acquired DiPietro from the Vancouver Canucks in the Jack Studnicka trade.
The Athletic had listed a Korpisalo deal as the Bruins’ No. 3 offseason priority.
