The New York Rangers' season could be on life support if the worst-case scenario plays out with netminder Igor Shesterkin.
The Rangers’ starting goalie left Friday night’s game against the Washington Capitals, and things did not look good. The fact that he couldn’t put any weight on his leg suggests that there’s something seriously wrong.
Igor Shesterkin went down with a leg injury and had to be carried off the ice without putting weight on his right leg
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) October 10, 2026
Hope he's okay 🙏 pic.twitter.com/uDg7SAZ3c8
While it’s way too soon to declare him out for an extended period, early medical opinions point towards a doomsday scenario for the Blueshirts.
If that’s the case, well, it could mean curtains for the club’s season.
After all, if there was one guy the Rangers could not lose, at least not for an extended period, it’s Shesterkin. He’s the sort of elite-level goaltender that can paper over a team’s shortcomings. He can buy enough time for the offense to break through, while providing the defense with the confidence it needs to go out there.
All of that goes away with Shesterkin on the shelf. If the worst-case prediction comes to fruition, the Rangers could be looking at their Vezina-caliber goalie missing around 12 weeks. In a nutshell, that’s no bueno.
Rangers hopes will be riding on Dylan Garand
In what can only be a fortuitous turn of events, the Rangers’ season will be riding on rookie netminder Dylan Garand.
As fans may recall, Garand hit the waiver wire earlier this season. And Chris Drury must now be thanking his lucky stars that no one claimed him.
Garand found himself back in the NHL following Joonas Korpisalo’s injury.
Now, with the possibility of Shesterkin missing time, Garand will be the guy. The 24-year-old will be the one tasked with holding the fort. And even if Shesterkin only ends up with a bad ankle sprain, the Rangers’ season could come down to the next stretch.
The club will play the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday, the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday, the New Jersey Devils on Thursday, and the Columbus Blue Jackets next Saturday night. In all, New York is looking at playing every other day for the next week or so.
That’s roughly six games the Rangers would be looking at without Shesterkin. And since Garand can’t start them all, it will likely mean someone will come up from the AHL to back up Garand. That could mean Garand getting four of the next six games, with the recall looking at a couple.
Well, that’s not the end of the world. But looking at how things shape up, losing a bunch of those games could mean the Rangers really fall behind in the Metro.
Here’s hoping that Igor Shesterkin sustained nothing more than just an injury scare, and he’ll be back on the ice sooner rather than later.
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