The New York Rangers have signed veteran goaltender Louis Domingue to a one-year, one-way extension. The deal will carry a league-minimum $775K salary, per Renauld Lavoie of TVA Sports. This will continue Domingue’s tenure with the Rangers, after the netminder signed a two-year, $1.5MM deal with the club in the summer of 2022.
Domingue didn’t play in the NHL at all last season – marking the first time since the 2013-14 season that he was absent from the league. His debut with the Rangers didn’t come until November 9th of this season, when he saved 25 of 26 shots en route to a 4-1 win over the Minnesota Wild. Domingue has otherwise spent all season in the minor leagues, where he’s managed 13 wins and a .910 save percentage in 24 games. He’s continued to perform well after posting 22 wins and a .911 in 45 games last year – serving as the Hartford Wolf Pack’s starter over prospect Dylan Garand. Those roles have since shifted this season, with the 21-year-old Garand barely beating out Domingue for the starter’s net, with the pair have working together to lead Hartford to a 29 wins in 54 games. They rank fourth in the AHL’s Atlantic Division and ninth in the league.
The Rangers mark the seventh team of Domingue’s career, making him one of the NHL’s biggest journeymen. Much of his career has been spent as a backup option or depth recall, though, with Domingue’s only seasons of 30 or more games coming in the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons. He recorded 39 and 31 games respectively in those years, adding a .912 and .908 save percentage. While big years, they weren’t enough to land Domingue a consistent role, with a trade to the Tampa Bay Lightning kicking off his third-string placement. He has totaled 143 career games across nine different seasons, managing 60 wins and a commendable .905 save percentage. He will likely remain a depth option for the Rangers, though his veteran presence could prove invaluable as the Rangers approach a long playoff run.