Igor Shesterkin’s season is over, and the Rangers are staring straight at a goaltending problem they can’t ignore.
NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported that the New York netminder is done for the year after leaving Friday’s game against Washington with a lower-body injury. The early word has ranged from an ankle fracture to a ligament tear, though the exact diagnosis still hasn’t been confirmed.
However it’s labeled, the result is the same for the Rangers: they’re suddenly thin in goal at the worst possible time.
The team also said backup Joonas Korpisalo will miss another four weeks, while forward Joe Veleno is expected to be out three months. That leaves Dylan Garand, a late training camp cut, as the starter for at least the next month.
Shesterkin’s absence stings because he was playing so well. In five starts, he went 3-1-0 with a 1.79 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage.
He also picked up his first NHL goal in a 5-1 win over Tampa Bay on Oct. 1.
Defenceman Adam Fox called him the pillar of the team’s back end and said everyone is hoping for the best for him.
There’s a financial wrinkle here too. Under the current rules, a club gets full cap relief only if a player is out for the entire season, playoffs included. If Shesterkin is not expected back for the postseason, the Rangers can use his $11.56 million cap hit elsewhere.
That’s why Connor Hellebuyck’s name is already getting traction in trade talk. New York may have the room to make something happen, but a deal with Winnipeg would still require assets going back to the Jets, along with Hellebuyck’s approval because of his no-trade clause. His $8.5 million cap hit runs through 2031, and if the Rangers paired that with Shesterkin’s number, they’d have about $20 million tied up in goaltending.
GM Chris Drury could also go the cheaper route and chase a short-term fix. Montreal’s Sam Montembeault is one possible target, and Kevin Weekes mentioned a handful of other options as well, including a Jonathan Quick comeback and veterans Petr Mrazek and James Reimer.
If New York can’t find an answer, the road ahead gets ugly fast. Without a solution in goal, the Rangers will have a hard time hanging around the playoff race.
In Other News...
Rangers Suddenly Face A Brutal Igor Shesterkin Question
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.
The concern goes beyond one game because the Rangers are already dealing with injuries in goal, which has thinned out their options at a position that rarely allows for much margin. New York is still waiting for a fuller update on Shesterkin, and with another game looming, the teams depth chart could be pushed into uncomfortable territory if he is not available. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Affiliate Is Building Early Momentum Behind An Intriguing Goalie Start
The Hartford Wolf Pack kept their early-season roll going with a 2-0 win over the Providence Bruins, giving the Rangers AHL affiliate three straight victories to open the year. Glenn Gawdin supplied one of the goals, and the result continued a start that has put Hartford in a good place before the calendar really settles into the grind of the season.
Callum Tung was at the center of it, turning aside 28 shots to give Hartford the kind of steady goaltending every affiliate hopes to find early. The Wolf Pack now head toward their home opener against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on October 10, with the early question being whether this start is the beginning of something more substantial. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Goalie Surge Suddenly Feels More Real Than Expected
The Hartford Wolf Packs fast start kept rolling with a 2-0 win over the Providence Bruins, another encouraging sign for a Rangers organization watching its goaltending depth closely. The Wolf Pack opened the 2026-27 season at 3-0-0-0, and the latest result came with the kind of steady, low-event hockey that can make an early run feel more legitimate than decorative.
Callum Tung was the biggest reason it held together, turning aside all 28 shots he faced for his first AHL shutout. In a development system, those are the kinds of nights that matter because they hint at more than a clean sheet in October, especially when the results keep stacking up and the crease picture in the organization starts to look a little more interesting. [Read more 🡒]