Leo’s Hockey Report: Assessing the New York Rangers' goaltender situation
Thanksgiving has come and gone. Halloween is on the horizon. Turkeys are replaced with pumpkins. Pumpkin pie becomes a dish of candy and chocolates. Skeleton and graveyard decor is seen everywhere you look.
Often, the holiday offers more tricks than treats. Just ask the New York Rangers. They had their first scare of the season early on.
Igor Shesterkin's 2026-27 National Hockey League (NHL) season ended abruptly. He suffered a lower-body injury that would require him miss the remainder of the year.
Shesterkin has long been seen as the solution between the pipes for the Blueshirts.
Former General Manager Glen Sauther drafted the goalie out of SKA St. Petersburg in the fourth round of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. At the same time, New York's crease was managed by a certain Swedish legend.
Henrik Lundquist was Shesterkin's childhood idol. The pair briefly shared the net during the 2019-20 season, before New York bought out Lundquist to clear salary cap space.
Shesterkin was handed the keys to the crease.
Over the next six years, he turned himself into one of the league's most prolific goaltenders. Shesterkin helped the Rangers win 187 games since 2020. His first career victory came on Jan. 7 against the Colorado Avalanche.
During that time, Shesterkin received multiple individual honours. He captured the 2022 Vezina Trophy as the league's top goalie. Shesterkin joined an impressive and exclusive group of netminders, including Lundquist, Marc-André Fleury and Carey Price.
Lundquist won the award in the 2011-12 season, exactly 10 years before.
Shesterkin was named a first-team NHL All-Star that same season. He has also represented the Rangers in two All-Star Games.
Fast forward to this season. Shesterkin was enjoying a fruitful start before the injury. He registered three wins and one loss in four starts, not to mention owning a goals-against average of less than two. Shesterkin also put a puck in the back of the net in a game at home against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Then, disaster struck.
Shesterkin injured himself on Oct. 9 in a game against the Washington Capitals. He attempted to slide back to defend his net during the second period, before jamming his right skate against the goal post. His right leg bent awkwardly under his body.
The Moscow native could not put any weight on his leg. Shesterkin was helped off the ice by his teammates.
The vibe among the Rangers' locker room was one of doom and gloom in the days following the injury.
"Tough hearing this news," Mika Zibenejad told reporters. "Obviously, he's a huge part of our team and an unreal teammate. He means so much to us.”
Sophomore goalie Dylan Garand has assumed duties in Shesterkin's absence.
Before Ranger fans go jumping to conclusions and feeling that their season is inevitably over, let's look at Garand's intangibles.
Garand was drafted by New York in the fourth round of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. Going into the draft, he was seen as one of the brightest young netminders in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL).
Garand cut his teeth with the Kamloops Blazers. He won the CHL Goalie of the Year award the year after he was drafted. Garand also won a couple of medals with the Canadian World Junior team. He spent the last couple of years on the farm developing with the Hartford Wolfpack, New York's American Hockey League affiliate.
The Garand era in New York has gotten off to a shaky start. He won his first game against Vancouver, making 19 saves in the victory. From there, he led the Rangers to a 4-1 win over Tampa on the road before being pulled against the New Jersey Devils.
New York were defeated 7-1 by the New Jersey Devils.
If Garand fails to calm the waters, New York can find solace in the fact that they have reinforcements. Former Boston Bruins keeper Joonas Korpisalo was brought in during the offseason to be Shesterkin's backup.
Korpisalo is currently on the shelf with a lower body injury. He began the season on injured reserve and has yet to make his debut in the big apple.
Yet, Korpisalo could become the starter once he is fit enough to return to the lineup in late November. If not, Garand would remain between the pipes.
New York's injury shelf is the size of the one in Andy's room from Toy Story 2. Shesterkin would be Sheriff Woody. Korpisalo is the squeaky penguin toy. Both toys are damaged and at risk of being sold or betrayed.
New York's next option is bringing in one of the goalies in Hartford. Spencer Martin and James Reimer and holding down the crease in Connecticut. New York signed Reimer to a professional tryout opportunity (PTO) last week.
Both goalies have experience minding the crease at the NHL level. Reimer played for the Toronto Maple Leafs for five years. He has also made stops throughout the Atlantic Division and in California. Meanwhile, Martin was the netminder for the Vancouver Canucks and the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Martin had an undefeated run with Vancouver during the 2021-22 season. He played in six games, registering three wins and three overtime losses. In the process, he became an instant icon.
"Couldn't be more disappointed for [Shesterkin]," Head Coach Mike Sullivan told reporters. "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."
"Our message is, we keep fighting. It's a next-man-up mindset."
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