New York Rangers general manager Chris Drury is expected to explore a trade for a new goalie. The team previously entered the 2026-27 season with solid depth between the pipes. Igor Shesterkin, a former Vezina Trophy winner, was the undisputed starter in New York. The Rangers also had Joonas Korpisalo and Dylan Garand working behind the superstar.
Nevertheless, Shesterkin is now out for the year with a lower-body injury, and Korpisalo is sidelined until mid-November. As a result, Drury and the Rangers need help at the position. Bleacher Report’s Adam Gretz has now named Seattle Kraken netminder Philipp Grubauer as a realistic option for New York.
The 34-year-old veteran may not exactly be the sexy option for the Rangers. In fact, some have suggested that Drury should go out and target Connor Hellebuyck to fill in for Shesterkin this season. Nevertheless, this scenario seems to be fairly impractical. Grubauer, on the other hand, would make a lot of sense for the New York Rangers.
As Gretz points out, the Kraken goalie has put up solid stats in a backup role since the start of the 2025/26 season. Grubauer posted a 2.65 GAA and .909 save rate in 32 total appearances last campaign. In three games so far this year, he has been even better.
Seattle could also be open to trading their backup because of his contract situation. Grubauer is currently in his final season of a six-year, $35.4 million ($5.9 million AAV) deal. As a result, the veteran will be an unrestricted free agent next summer.
New York Rangers Have the Pieces to Make Philipp Grubauer Trade
In targeting Grubauer, the New York Rangers should not have to give up a ton in a trade with Seattle. “It’s hard to imagine that he would cost a lot in terms of draft picks or assets, and he might be able to at least give the Rangers some league-average play and a chance to keep competing in the Eastern Conference playoff race,” writes Gretz.
This is particularly noteworthy considering what a deal for Hellebuyck would look like. On top of giving up prized assets for the superstar, Drury and the Rangers would have a roster headache going into the 2027-28 season. Assuming Shesterkin comes back healthy next year, they would have to figure out what to do with the Winnipeg Jets netminder.
Grubauer, on the other hand, could join the New York Rangers for the current campaign and then walk away as a free agent in the summer. The veteran Kraken goalie does, however, have a 10-team no-trade list in his current contract. Nevertheless, he would likely prefer to be the main man in New York than a backup in Seattle.
New York Trying to Keep Pace in the Standings
The New York Rangers have gotten off to a surprisingly solid start to begin the 2026-27 season. In fact, only the Carolina Hurricanes currently have more points in the Eastern Conference. Because of this, Drury has to keep the momentum going without Shesterkin in place. Grubauer could soon enter the fray without costing the Rangers a fortune or creating a future roster headache.
Rangers Linked to $35 million ‘Realistic’ Shesterkin Replacement