The New York Rangers will be without starting goaltender Igor Shesterkin for at least one to two weeks after he suffered an upper-body injury in Friday’s 3–2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The good news for New York, however, is that the NHL will enter a two-week hiatus starting Monday thanks to the 4 Nations Face-Off kicking off Wednesday.
Shesterkin, who made 23 saves in the game, appeared uncomfortable following a net-front scramble in the first period but remained in net for the full game.
The Athletic's Arthur Staple was first to confirm the team’s expected recovery timeline, noting that Shesterkin should be ready to return following the international tournament.
“Igor Shesterkin (upper body) expected to return in 1–2 weeks. #NYR have recalled Dylan Garand to back up Jonathan Quick tonight in Columbus. Timeline should have Shesterkin ready for post-4 Nations games,” Staple posted on X.
The Rangers turned to veteran Jonathan Quick as their starter in Shesterkin’s absence, with Garand recalled from AHL Hartford to serve as his backup.
Quick, who has a 8–5–2 record this season, got the start against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday and earned the win for the Rangers in a 4-3 victory, stopping 22 of the 25 shots he faced.
New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (31) squirts water on his face.
Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Shesterkin signed an eight-year, $92 million contract extension in Dec. 2024 but has struggled of late. While he had a strong January, winning six of his first seven games last month, he had gone 1–4-0 in his last five outings.
Despite those recent struggles, Shesterkin remains the team’s top option in net, carrying an 18–19–2 record with a 2.87 GAA and a .906 save percentage in 39 games this season.
New York enters the 4 Nations break with a 27-24-4 record and 58 points through 55 games, still three points behind the Detroit Red Wings in the race for the second wild-card berth.
