Only a handful of games into the 2026-27 NHL season, the New York Rangers have lost Igor Shesterkin for the rest of the way. It’s a tough hand to be dealt for Mike Sullivan and company, as they are now without their star player, and facing a plethora of question marks in net. Regardless, Sullivan urged the team to move on and push through.
“Our message is, we keep fighting. It’s a next-man-up mindset,” Sullivan stated, via NHL.com shortly after news broke of Shesterkin’s season-ending, right-knee injury. The Rangers‘ netminder was injured in the team’s 3-1 loss against the Washington Capitals which not only snapped a four-game winning streak but has now put New York’s 2026-27 NHL season at stake.
“Really bad news: Igor Shesterkin is out for the year,” Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman reported on his X account. And that’s not even the end of the dramatic situation New York is now facing in net.
Sullivan’s heart breaks for Shesterkin
“Couldn’t be more disappointed for ‘Shesty,‘” Rangers coach Mike Sullivan added. “I know how much playing means to him, being part of the Rangers. He’s obviously one of the cornerstones of this organization. I am disappointed for him because he is such a fierce competitor.“
Igor Shesterkin #31 of the New York Rangers
Incredibly enough, Shesterkin’s 2026-27 season came to an abrupt end just four starts into the year. He finishes with a 3-1-0 record, a 1.79 goals-against average (GAA), and .927 save percentage (SV%). Shesterkin scored a goal, recorded an assist, yet didn’t keep a shutout before his season-ending injury.
Korpisalo is injured, too
The Rangers’ trade for Joonas Korpisalo in the offseason backfired as the former Boston Bruins goaltender sustained a lower-body injury before he even made his NHL season debut. Although Korpisalo’s setback provided an early chance for Dylan Garand to prove himself, this isn’t how anybody in The Big Apple would’ve drawn up the situation.
As things stand, Garand is the only healthy option in the team’s goaltending department. According to reports, Korpisalo will remain out for approximately four weeks. Thus, New York’s fate is now hinging on the glove and blocker of a 24-year-old goalie with fewer than 10 NHL games under his belt.
“Expectation is Spencer Martin will be recalled by the Rangers to serve as backup to Dylan Garand tonight vs. Canucks, per source. He was hurt, but has been cleared,” Mollie Walker of the New York Post reported.
NY Rangers face goalie drama
The rumor mill around the Rangers has now gone wild, with many hinting at the possibility of bringing Jonathan Quick (currently employed by the Blueshirts as director of goaltending development) back from retirement. Either way, it’s clear Sullivan and company will make a move for a goalie soon.
Simple back-of-the-envelope math would point in the direction of Connor Hellebuyck, who remains suspended without pay by the Winnipeg Jets, but it’s virtually impossible for New York to acquire a goalie with an $8.5 million cap hit when Shesterkin’s $11.5 million cap hit isn’t going anywhere in the long run.
The Rangers’ playoff hopes are now facing the ultimate test less than a month into the season, and it seems it will all hinge on the skaters’ depth to hold down the fort in front of what will probably be an alternative goaltending tandem for the remainder of the season. How the tables have turned in the NHL—the Rangers have certainly come to find that out.
Key takeaways
- Igor Shesterkin is out for the 2026-27 season after sustaining a lower-body injury.
- Joonas Korpisalo is expected to remain sidelined for roughly four weeks with an injury.
- Dylan Garand is currently the New York Rangers’ only healthy option at goaltender.
