The Rangers’ goaltending situation took a brutal turn Friday night, and the latest update leaves no room for optimism. Igor Shesterkin’s season is over, the team told reporters including Peter Baugh of The Athletic, after testing confirmed the worst-case scenario from the injury he suffered in Friday’s game.
That’s a massive hit for a New York team that had opened the season in solid shape. Shesterkin, 30, has once again looked like one of the NHL’s top netminders, posting a 1.79 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage in five games.
He also picked up the first goal of his career. For his NHL career, he now sits at a 2.51 GAA and a .917 save percentage across 330 games.
His $11,567,857 cap hit is the highest in the league for a goalie, and the Rangers are now losing that level of production for the rest of the year.
The injury picture got even worse beyond Shesterkin. The club said backup Joonas Korpisalo will be out another four weeks with his lower-body injury, while center Joe Veleno is expected to miss three to three-and-a-half months with his own lower-body issue.
With the Rangers already operating close to the Upper Limit, Shesterkin’s season-ending designation opens up significant relief through LTIR. Because the injury is season-ending, New York can access close to his full cap charge.
If a player is not ruled out for the year, teams are limited to the lower of that player’s cap hit or a little over $3.9 million, last year’s average salary. That gives GM Chris Drury some room to maneuver, though the long-term reality remains the same: Shesterkin’s contract runs through 2032-33, and Korpisalo is also signed for another season.
That setup points toward a search for short-term help in goal. Several veteran options are out there on expiring deals.
John Gibson could be available if Detroit decides to lean into a short-term rebuild. Jordan Binnington is currently behind another option in St.
Louis but has been a capable starter before. Darcy Kuemper, off to a rough start in Los Angeles, also fits as a possible target if the Kings are unlikely to bring him back.
If New York wants to keep the acquisition cost down, Philipp Grubauer in Seattle and Sam Montembeault in Montreal could be cheaper trade options. On the free-agent side, James Reimer stands out, though he did not attend training camp anywhere and would need a conditioning stint at minimum before being ready.
For now, the Rangers’ starter is Dylan Garand. He cleared waivers in training camp and will be in net for at least the next four weeks unless the team brings in another goalie.
AHL veteran Spencer Martin was unable to play Friday because of a lower-body injury, but Vince Z. Mercogliano of The Athletic reports that he has been cleared to return, which would make him a recall option.
Martin has some NHL experience if needed in a pinch, but it’s clear Drury is already weighing outside options.
New York will also make a pair of roster moves tied to LTIR optimization, according to Mollie Walker of the New York Post. Cole Beaudoin will be assigned to AHL Hartford, while Juuso Parssinen will come up on a short-term basis. Beaudoin is slated to play for the Wolf Pack tonight, which would make him eligible to return to New York on Sunday.
In Other News...
Rangers Suddenly Face A Brutal Igor Shesterkin Question
Igor Shesterkins night against the Capitals ended far earlier than the Rangers would have wanted, and it left New York with yet another goalie issue to monitor closely. The veteran was unable to return after leaving with a lower-body injury, forcing Dylan Garand into action and adding to a stretch in which the team has already had to lean on its depth in net.
The Rangers are still waiting on a clearer update on Shesterkin, and the timing could hardly be worse with their goaltending chart already thinned by other injuries. If he is unable to dress Sunday, the club may be pushed even further down the depth chart as it tries to piece together a workable plan in goal. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Hot Start Is Hiding A Cap Problem Chris Drury Can't Ignore
The Rangers fast start has helped keep the focus on the standings, but the first stretch of the season has also brought a quieter concern into view: the salary cap. Early injuries and a series of contract-management choices have left New York with very little room to maneuver, which matters for a team that still has to navigate the rest of October without much margin for error. For a club built to contend, the ability to absorb another setback or make a quick roster adjustment is already looking constrained.
Chris Drury has already had to use roster shuffling to stay compliant, including waiving Matthew Robertson and recalling Dylan Garand as the team dealt with injuries to Joonas Korpisalo and Joe Veleno. Moves like that can buy time, but they also underline how tight things have become around the edges. If the Rangers want to keep their early momentum while protecting themselves from more injury trouble, the next decision on the blue line or up front may be less about preference than necessity. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Affiliate Is Building Early Momentum Behind An Intriguing Goalie Start
The Hartford Wolf Pack kept their early-season roll going Saturday night, blanking the Providence Bruins 2-0 for their third straight win to open the season. Glenn Gawdin supplied the first goal, and Hartford got another tight, disciplined effort in a game that fit the mold of a team finding its footing quickly under pressure.
Callum Tung was a big part of that start, turning aside 28 shots to give the Rangers affiliate a strong performance in net at a time when every point in the standings can help shape an October runway. Hartford now turns toward its home opener against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Oct. 10, carrying some real early momentum into a building that will want to see whether this opening burst can hold. [Read more 🡒]