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Joonas Korpisalo joining AHL Hartford in next step toward Rangers return
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- Joonas Korpisalo joining AHL Hartford in next step toward Rangers return
Rangers goalie
Joonas Korpisalo took another step toward his Rangers return .
Korpisalo, the veteran goaltender who has been sidelined since the season opener with a foot infection, began a conditioning stint with AHL Hartford on Wednesday against Hershey, according to The Post's Mollie Walker.
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It's unclear how many games he'll need before being ready for an NHL match, but in an early portion of the season that has already been filled with goaltending chaos, this marked another encouraging sign for the Rangers.
After resuming skating on his own in late October, Korpisalo returned to practice — for a portion of the session — Friday and gradually built up to being a full participant from there. He has been a regular presence on the ice since, including during the Rangers' morning skate before their win against the Blues on Tuesday .
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Head coach Mike Sullivan said on multiple occasions this week that he was still uncertain about a concrete timeline for Korpisalo playing in games in the near future, but he reiterated that they've been encouraged with his recovery to this point.
Now, that plan has started to come into focus. The Rangers acquired Korpisalo from the Bruins in exchange for a 2028 fourth-round pick and forward prospect Kalle Vaisanen in the summer. He went 14-9-6 with an .894 save percentage last year in Boston and has collected a .900 save percentage, along with a 3.06 goals against average, across his 334-game NHL career.
Rangers goalie Joonas Korpisalo will begin a conditioning stint with AHL Hartford. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Dylan Garand, a 24-year-old rookie, has appeared in 11 consecutive games with Igor Shesterkin out for the season and Korpisalo on long-term injured reserve, with James Reimer serving as the backup for Garand after turning a professional tryout agreement with the Wolf Pack into an NHL deal.
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In the only game Reimer started, he allowed three goals on eight shots and was pulled in favor of Garand , who was supposed to be getting the night off given his heavy workload.
Joonas Korpisalo (70) of the New York Rangers traps a puck against the post during a game against the New Jersey Devils in New York, Sept. 24, 2026. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
With Jaroslav Chmelar back from AHL Hartford, the Rangers unveiled a new-look fourth line Tuesday with Noah Laba centering Matt Rempe and Chmelar — and it ended up being an effective combination. They only had 0.09 expected goals for, according to Natural Stat Trick, but they generated more scoring chances (four) than the Blueshirts' top line (three).
Chmelar, the 23-year-old who made the roster out of training camp but was assigned to Hartford last month, said Tuesday morning that he was "on a mission" to get back to the NHL level and that he "didn't return the favor" with his play when the Blueshirts coaching staff believed in him.
"I thought they had some really good momentum shifts for us," Sullivan said. "They spent a significant amount of time in the offensive zone. They had a couple of scoring opportunities, but the biggest thing was that that line can bring to the team, I think, is just helping us create momentum with their physical play and just playing on top of our opponents."
Will Cuylle went 3-for-5 on faceoffs during his first career game at center. … The Rangers will wear their Hometown Remix jerseys for the first time Thursday when they host the Flyers. … Eeli Tolvanen picked up the 100th assist of his career, while J.T. Miller, who recorded two assists, sits seven away from 500 for his career.
