Igor Shesterkin has been the Rangers’ safety net through the rough patches, and that’s exactly why his form matters so much to where this team is headed.
New York is trying to claw its way back to the playoffs for the first time since 2023-24, and the case for optimism starts in goal. Shesterkin hasn’t matched the numbers from his 2021-22 Vezina-winning season, but he remains one of the NHL’s elite netminders. If he gets rolling again, the Rangers have a real chance to follow.
That 2021-22 season was the peak: Shesterkin led the league in save percentage at .953, posted a 2.07 goals-against average, and finished with 44.9 goals saved above average. He won the Vezina Trophy, earned an All-Star nod, and placed third in Hart Trophy voting. Since then, he hasn’t reached those heights again, but he’s still been one of the few steady bright spots for New York.
Even in 2025-26, with the Rangers sitting dead last in the Metropolitan Division, Shesterkin still produced top-15 numbers across the league. He bounced back from 2024-25 with better save percentage and goals-against average, and among goaltenders who played more than 50 games, his save percentage ranked third while his goals-against average ranked fourth. His goals-saved-above-average jumped from 8 the previous season to 22.9.
What makes that even more encouraging for the Rangers is that he did it while missing a number of games because of injury. A healthy Shesterkin, fully in rhythm, could be the most dangerous version of himself the team has seen in the last few seasons.
But he can only carry so much. The Rangers’ core has changed, and those shifts have left the roster exposed during a turbulent stretch. Shesterkin, still early in his eight-year contract, has been asked to absorb a lot of that instability.
For New York to get the best version of him, the team has to build around him as it tries to become a real playoff club again. The offseason signing of Dorofeyev could help push Shesterkin back toward Vezina-level production, but he can’t be the only source of offense. If that doesn’t change, the old truth about goaltenders still applies: they can do almost everything, just not score goals.
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Kanes return to Chicago takes that debate off the table, which is a relief for a club that has been trying to balance immediate talent with long-term development. It also removes a decision that could have complicated the top six and made it harder to give meaningful runway to the younger options the Rangers want to evaluate this season. [Read more 🡒]
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Blackhawks Fans May Finally Get The Farewell They Wanted
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For the Rangers, the more immediate issue is the mood around Vladislav Gavrikov and what it says about where the roster is headed. New York has not made any official move, but there is at least some concern that a player in his position could start looking elsewhere if the direction of the team does not improve, which would only add another layer of uncertainty to a group already trying to steady itself. [Read more 🡒]