Joonas Korpisalo is set to take another step toward his Rangers return.
Korpisalo, the veteran goaltender who has been sidelined since the season opener with a foot infection, will begin a conditioning stint with AHL Hartford on Wednesday against Hershey, according to The Post’s Mollie Walker.
It’s unclear how many games the 32-year-old will 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.
Head coach Mike Sullivan said on multiple occasions this week 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 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.
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 current backup for Garand after turning a professional tryout agreement with the Wolf Pack into an NHL deal.
In the only game Reimer starter, 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.
