One of the most underrated moves that the New York Rangers made this offseason was signing veteran goaltender Jonathan Quick. The 37-year-old goalie agreed to a one-year contract with the Blueshirts worth $925,000 last month. While Quick might not be the flashiest signing, he is definitely a player that can have a tremendous impact on the Rangers this season.
Easing the stress off of Igor Shesterkin’s shoulders
After Jaroslav Halak decided to test the free agency market this offseason, New York needed to find someone new to play behind superstar Igor Shesterkin- and they might’ve landed the best option out there in Quick.
Throughout the last few seasons, the Rangers have become far too reliant on their starting goaltender. Shesterkin started in a whopping 58 games in 2023. He’s easily one of the best goalies in the NHL, but even that much ice time takes a toll on his abilities as the playoffs arrive. By the time the first round begins, Shesterkin winds up fatigued, preventing him from stealing games as he does throughout the regular season.
Having a solid backup in Quick should help the Rangers avoid this problem in 2023. Halak began his short tenure with the Blueshirts with a rough start, starting almost ten games before earning his first win with the team. This caused the team to rely too heavily on Shesterkin early on.
Despite his age, Jonathan Quick is still a solid backup goaltender
Quick is one of the NHL’s oldest goalies, being 37 at the time of this signing, but he is still capable of putting up decent numbers. In 2022-2023, Quick had a record of 16-15-6 split between Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
Quick posted a save percentage of .882 and a goals-against average of 3.41 this past season, which isn’t too impressive at first glance, but should suffice while playing as a backup for the Rangers against their less formidable opponents.
Additionally, these numbers cannot be judged properly without factoring in the handful of injuries that Quick was dealing with throughout the entire season. But considering his veteran experience and ability to play at a high level, new head coach Peter Laviolette should feel confident starting Quick for a decent number of games this season, giving Shesterkin some much-needed rest.
Bringing the Rangers valuable Stanley Cup experience
Quick led the Los Angeles Kings to two Stanley Cup Championship victories during his career. The first came in 2012 and the second in 2014, with the latter victory being against the Rangers themselves. It’s certain that he knows what it takes to win it all, and this successful veteran experience will help the Rangers immensely.
Even though Shesterkin is a world-class goaltender, there is always room for improvement in the NHL. Having someone like Quick behind him acting as a leader and a friend could help Shesterkin elevate his game to an even higher level.
The Rangers reportedly brought Quick in with hopes that he could serve as a mentor to Shesterkin.
The 37-year-old wasted no time in tending to that role, having already exchanged texts with the Rangers star goalie and saying how much he’s looking forward to teaming up with him.
Via the New York Post
This veteran leadership will span further than just the goaltender’s crease as well, as there are many young players on the Rangers who will look to Quick for guidance on what it takes to make a deep postseason run.