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 didn’t 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.
Korpisalo 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 for nothing — and that would’ve depleted the organization’s depth. Spencer Martin would’ve been the next option to get called up.
But now, Garand could go from not making the Rangers’ roster out of training camp to potentially starting in their third game of the season — with Shesterkin starting the home opener and the Blueshirts concluding a back-to-back in Detroit on Friday.
