When the Rangers return to action Saturday in Buffalo following the 4 Nations break, expect Igor Shesterkin to be back — provided Friday’s practice goes well — having recovered from the upper-body injury he suffered Feb. 7 in a loss to Pittsburgh.
And while that’s positive news for the Rangers, who had said the goalie would be sidelined one to two weeks after seemingly suffering the injury near his lower arm in a scrum in front of the goalmouth, the real question is, what version of Shesterkin will they see?
He was excellent for much of the first month of the regular season and again for a two-week period in mid-January.
But he also has had a pair of ugly stretches, including most of November and December and again in his final five matches before the break.
It’s left the 29-year-old with some pretty mediocre results that don’t compare well to a year ago.
He’s 33rd in the league with a 2.87 goals-against average and tied for 19th with a .906 save percentage after finishing 11th (2.58 GAA) and tied for 10th (.913) in those categories last season.
Igor Shesterkin of the New York Rangers surrenders a goal to Rickard Rakell of the Pittsburgh Penguins during the second period when the New York Rangers played the Pittsburgh Penguins on February 7, 2025 at Madison Square Garden.
All that is far from what the Rangers expected when they signed Shesterkin to an eight-year, $92 million deal ($11.5M a year) that kicks in next year.
Asked about the season so far following practice in Tarrytown on Thursday — Shesterkin’s first full practice since the injury — the goalie said, “Not good so far.”
He was speaking as much for himself as for the rest of the team, which has gone from winning the Presidents’ Trophy last year for finishing the regular season with the most points in the league to needing to find a way over their final 27 games just to get back to the postseason.
They sit three points out of the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with three teams to pass.
“We’re battling for a playoff spot [and] working hard,’’ Shesterkin said. “Last season, we were in a better spot than this year.”
But he also accurately noted, “Everything is in our hands.”
Igor Shesterkin #31 of the New York Rangers deflects the puck during the second period when the New York Rangers played the Pittsburgh Penguins Friday, February 7, 2025 at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, NY.
Especially Shesterkin’s.
And if he plays down the stretch like he did last season, the Rangers would be in good shape.
After a rough stretch last season, Laviolette gave Shesterkin a “reset” before the All-Star break, and he responded.
In his first 32 games of the season, Shesterkin had a save percentage of .899, along with a 19-12-1 record. Following the reset, he went 17-5-1 with a .929 save percentage.
He’s typically better following the break throughout his career, and when asked Thursday why that was the case, Shesterkin smiled and said, “I think I always step up my game.”
Laviolette acknowledged the rough road his team has had this year.
“It has not been an [easy] season for us,” the coach said. “We had a good start to the season [and] were decent Jan. 1 ’til now. We got lost a little bit in the middle, and really, it’s gonna come down to how we finish.”
Igor Shesterkin of the New York Rangers deflects the puck as Jack Hughes of the New Jersey Devils gets the rebound and scores a goal during the second period when the New York Rangers played the New Jersey Devils.
As for Shesterkin and backup Jonathan Quick, Laviolette said, “I don’t think we could have any more confidence in our goaltending than we do in both of them.”
But, he added the team’s success lies with the entire roster, and with the March 7 trade deadline approaching, the team has to prove it’s capable of making a run.
“It’s definitely important,’” Laviolette said. “I do think we’ve shown that [we’re capable], as well. Now that the break is over, we’re presented with the final stretch here. … We’ve got to produce.”
