The New York Rangers’ hot start just hit a major roadblock.
Igor Shesterkin will miss the rest of the 2026-27 NHL season because of a lower-body injury, the team confirmed. For a Rangers club that opened the year strongly, the loss of its No. 1 goalie lands like a punch to the gut.
Shesterkin was hurt in Friday’s 3-1 loss to the Washington Capitals. The injury came midway through the second period when his skate caught the goalpost after he challenged a shooter.
As he went down, his right leg bent awkwardly and he was unable to put weight on it. Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson helped him off the ice.
Before leaving, Shesterkin had stopped 13 of 14 shots. Dylan Garand took over from there.
Rangers beat reporter Vince Z. Mercogliano posted the update on X, writing, “#NYR announce that Igor Shesterkin will be out for the season.”
The timing makes the situation even tougher for New York. Backup Joonas Korpisalo is also expected to miss four weeks with a lower-body injury, leaving the Rangers thin at the position at the worst possible moment.
The New York Post’s Mollie Walker called it the “worst case scenario” for the Rangers and pointed out how quickly the door has opened for Garand, who has gone from a possible third-stringer to the team’s likely starter.
“Worst case scenario for #NYR with Igor Shesterkin. Devastating news for a team that is off to such a great start, which No. 31 had such a hand in.
Rookie Dylan Garand goes from last round of training camp cuts as third-stringer to Blueshirts No. 1 for at least the next month.”
Garand, 24, is coming off his first NHL shutout against Detroit. In five career NHL appearances, he has a 1.31 goals-against average and a .954 save percentage.
Even with Garand’s numbers, replacing Shesterkin is a massive ask. The veteran had started the season 3-1-0 with a 1.79 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage in five starts.
Captain J.T. Miller said Shesterkin’s exit caught everyone off guard and made the challenge clear.
“It means we got to step up to a man to try to get the job done, especially (Garand).”
Coach Mike Sullivan also stressed what the goalie means to the group.
“It’s concerning. He’s an elite goaltender, and you don’t want to ever see anyone get hurt. But, obviously, he’s an important player for us.”
Shesterkin, who won the 2021-22 Vezina Trophy, signed an eight-year, $92 million contract in December 2024.
New York entered Saturday with a 4-2-0 record. Now the Rangers have to keep that strong start going without the player who helped drive it.
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Igor Shesterkins night against the Capitals ended abruptly when the Rangers No. 1 goaltender had to leave with a lower-body injury and did not return, a scary development for a team that has leaned heavily on him. Dylan Garand stepped in and handled the workload after Shesterkin exited, giving New York at least a steady stopgap while the bench waited for word on the starters condition.
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