The New York Rangers are moving carefully after Igor Shesterkin’s season-ending injury, and for now, the plan is to keep the net in-house.
With Shesterkin out for the remainder of the 2026-27 season because of a lower-body right knee injury, the Rangers are expected to lean on Dylan Garand and Spencer Martin while they wait for Joonas Korpisalo to come back from his own injury. On NHL Network, David Pagnotta said New York is not rushing into a splashy move.
"[0:45]... They’re going to slow play this one.
There are outside alternative options that they are going to start taking a look at, but they’re going to keep this in house to see if Garand can hold for it. What happens when Korpisalo comes back?
It’s going to be Garand and Martin for the time being," said Pagnotta.
If the Rangers do decide to look outside the organization, Pagnotta said Connor Hellebuyck is not part of the conversation. Instead, New York would be focused on goalies playing on expiring contracts.
“You’re not looking at the Hellebuyck option. You’re looking at guys that are on expiring contracts… Jordan Binnington kind of leading that charge out there in St.
Louis. He’s a pending UFA.
You have John Gibson in Detroit, Darcy Kuemper in L.A., and Sam Montembeault in Montreal. All four of those guys are on expiring contracts," he added.
Pagnotta also pointed to the situations in St. Louis, Detroit, Los Angeles, and Montreal as ones that could evolve depending on how those seasons play out. For now, though, New York appears content to wait.
The Rangers are sitting on roughly $4.6 million in cap space with players on LTIR, and that number would become more flexible if Shesterkin is eventually moved to season-ending LTIR later in the year.
Shesterkin’s injury came in the second period of the Rangers’ 3-1 loss to the Washington Capitals last week. While scrambling back into the crease, his right skate jammed into the goalpost. His right leg then bent awkwardly underneath him as he fell, and he stayed down on the ice unable to put weight on it.
In Other News...
Canadiens Blue Line Suddenly Puts David Reinbacher In Focus
A thinning blue line has suddenly pushed David Reinbacher into the conversation in Montreal. The Canadiens recalled the young defenseman from the Laval Rocket after Mike Matheson went down injured, leaving the club with only six healthy blueliners as it gets ready for a matchup with the Washington Capitals.
Reinbachers arrival adds intrigue to a situation the Canadiens did not have much time to manage, but his actual role is still unsettled. Montreal has not yet confirmed whether he will make his debut against Washington or where he would slot in if he does, which leaves the club balancing immediate need with a more cautious look at how it wants to deploy him. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Interest In Dylan Larkin Comes Down To One Big Thing
Dylan Larkins situation in Detroit remains one of the more closely watched storylines around the league, and it has obvious appeal for a Canadiens front office still looking for a meaningful swing. He has not rescinded his trade request from the Red Wings and is still interested in being moved this season, while his no-movement clause gives him control over where this goes next. Reports have him open to about ten teams, a group that includes several contenders and a few clubs with clear cap space or roster flexibility.
Montreal has shown serious interest, which makes sense for a team that would love to add a player of Larkins caliber if the opportunity ever materializes. The catch is simple: he is not currently open to playing there, even though the Canadiens are said to be willing to put together a significant offer if that stance changes. For now, it is less a full-blown pursuit than a waiting game, with Montreal keeping tabs on a possibility that may depend on one big shift in Larkins thinking. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens May Be Fixing The Problem That Hurt Them Most
After a shaky start to the season in one of the areas that had hurt them most, the Canadiens are at least showing signs of a fix on the penalty kill. Against Buffalo, Montreal protected a 3-1 lead long enough to survive a Sabres push and eventually win in a shootout, but the more encouraging part came when the game turned chippy and special teams became a factor.
Montreals penalty killers handled every Buffalo man advantage in the game, and the recent trend now matters as much as the result itself. The Canadiens have strung together a run of successful kills over their last two games, a welcome answer after early-season trouble with power-play goals against had put extra pressure on the rest of the roster. [Read more 🡒]