The New York Rangers have been in the middle of getting some much-needed time off. With the break, one of their injured players appears to be getting closer to a return. 

With the Rangers facing some adversity on the three-game losing streak and also the fact that the team has lost five of their last six, New York is going to be hoping to get back on track soon. 

Not having Igor Shesterkin has certainly caught up to New York, and with Joonas Korpisalo also injured to start the year, the depth of the group has been tested. While the team has without a doubt struggled of late, they still have a 7-6-1 record and are hoping to remain a playoff contender in the Eastern Conference. 

Fortunately, while there hasn’t been a ton of good injury news for the Rangers, they recently did receive some on Korpisalo. 

Korpisalo Getting Closer

Seeing Sullivan say that Korpisalo took a big step toward his return is a great thing. The Rangers will be playing next on Sunday against the Edmonton Oilers, and with the amount of rest that they had this week, going back to Dylan Garand isn’t an issue. 

New York has had to play the 24-year-old a lot since the injury to Igor Shesterkin, and getting him some rest is certainly the goal. On Monday, it was James Reimer who got the start in the net for the Rangers; unfortunately, he allowed three goals in the first period and was pulled for Garand. 

Overall this season, the young goalie has totaled a 4-5-1 record, 2.69 GAA, and .899 save percentage. While the numbers aren’t terrible, he has struggled a bit. There has been an unexpected heavy workload placed upon him, and while he hasn’t complained, a break has been needed. 

Furthermore, with Garand still young and developing, getting Korpisalo back to perhaps even out the workload would be great. With the veteran goalie trending in the right direction, perhaps a return next week will be a possibility. 

Following the game against the Oilers, the Rangers will be playing Tuesday and Thursday at home, then they will be heading on a four-game West Coast and Western Canadian road trip. 

Having Korpisalo back during this stretch will be key, as that would be too much to ask of Garand. Hopefully, he continues to take steps in the right direction and will be on the ice in the NHL soon.