Rangers Dealt Massive Blow With Shesterkin Injury
Injuries are part of the game in any sport, be it amateur or professional. While that is undoubtedly the case, the fact remains that some injuries are harder to overcome than others.
In football, for example, a team can easier overcome an injury to an offensive lineman than to their starting quarterback. Similarly, in basketball, while losing a guy like Bradley Beal hurts a team, you’d take that over say, having Giannis Antetokounmpo go down. Meanwhile, in hockey, perhaps the toughest thing that can happen is when a team loses their starting goaltender. That’s the situation the New York Rangers find themselves in early in the season.
Up To $1500 in Bonus Bets Paid Back if your First Bet Does Not Win Igor Shesterkin Done for the Year
Igor Shesterkin, the star netminder for the Rangers, was off to a strong start in the 2026-27 campaign. He stood 3-1-0 with a 1.79 GAA and a .927 save percentage on the season. In addition, he became the first Rangers goaltender ever in franchise history to light the lamp. He scored an empty net goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning on October 1.
The problem for the Rangers now is how they’re going to replace him.
Shesterkin suffered an injury to his right knee midway through the second period of the Rangers’ 3-1 loss to the Washington Capitals Friday night. After trying to get back in position following coming out of the crease to challenge a shooter, he sustained the injury. Shesterkin’s skate was slammed into the post and he crumpled to the ice. As he was helped off the ice, he was unable to put any pressure on his right leg.
What Do the Rangers Do Now?
In the short term, it seems that Dylan Garand may be the de facto starter right now. The problem is, he has virtually no NHL experience. His relief appearance yesterday marked his second appearance of the season. In addition, it was his fifth career NHL appearance. He is 3-1-1 with a 1.31 GAA, a .954 save percentage and one shutout in that limited workload at the NHL level.
Meanwhile, the Rangers have Joonas Korpisalo, who they acquired from Boston in the offseason. However, general manager Chris Drury said Saturday that he’s out at least another four weeks. New York has to get a new goalie and sooner rather than later. Jonathan Quick retired after last season and one has to wonder if he’ll stick to that or come out of retirement to help the Blueshirts. Other options would be veterans like Petr Mrazek or James Reimer. New York also may try to work a deal for Sam Montembeault from Montreal.
One potential caveat the Rangers could explore is Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck. With Shesterkin out for the season, the Rangers can allocate his $11.6 million elsewhere. That means they could go after Hellebuyck, whose deal is worth $8.5 million a year. However, Hellebuyck needs to waive his no-trade clause provision. The Rangers also have to decide if they want to invest $20-plus million into goaltenders going forward.
Does This Affect the Rangers’ Playoff Odds?
One has to think that unless the Rangers swing a deal for a starter or at least a capable 1B goaltender to pair with Garand for now, it’s tough sledding. Korpisalo is out another month, which doesn’t help matters. As of Saturday, the Rangers are still sitting at +195 odds to make the postseason according to DraftKings. Meanwhile, according to FanDuel, they have -265 odds to miss the playoffs altogether. Their odds to win the Metropolitan Division currently stand at +2200.
We’ll watch and see what the Rangers do going forward. One thing is for certain. Their early season momentum was stunted by this injury.
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Rangers Dealt Massive Blow With Shesterkin Injury
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