Can the Rangers Survive Without Igor Shesterkin? Analysis, Trade Options After Season-Ending Injury

It was fun while it lasted. The ambiance around Madison Square Garden (Knicks aside) had been warm for the first time in three years following a 4-1 start to the New York Rangers' season. The party came to a crashing halt on Friday night after Igor Shesterkin suffered a serious injury.

Rangers fans were holding their breath, hoping for merely "bad" news. They got terrible news instead. Their best player's season is over.

Now what?

Impact of a Shesterkin Absence

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A memory that may inspire hope is Henrik Lundqvist's fluke throat injury on Jan. 31, 2015. His absence for what would be 25 games was presumed to be a catastrophe. Alas, backup goaltender Cam Talbot took a monumental load and won 16 of 23 games with a .929 save percentage. The Rangers won the Presidents' Trophy. Could history repeat?

Don't bet on it. As great as Henrik Lundqvist was, the 2014-15 Rangers were an excellent team on other merits. At the time of the injury, they were playing like a top-five NHL team. They had a Rocket Richard contender in Rick Nash and arguably the best third line in hockey.

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The praise of the Rangers' early play this season is absolutely valid. The full lineup has bought into a style of play that creates low-event hockey through waves of forecheck pressure, aggressive defender movement, and protection of middle ice. What this amounted to was fairly average play on the whole.

The ability to grind teams down and frustrate them depended on Shesterkin as the Final Boss. In his four full games, Shesterkin saved 3.41 goals above expected, or .85 goals per game. He was also the only reason the Rangers were tied with Washington prior to his injury.

Without him, it's difficult to point to a strength for this team. Goals are going to be hard to come by. There's no superlative talent at the top of the lineup, and the third line has struggled. The wins against the Red Wings and Islanders were good building blocks but, as the Capitals reminded everyone, the Rangers have far tougher tests on the schedule.

Dylan Garland's Chance

Sometimes, opportunity is random. Two weeks ago, the Rangers were willing to lose goaltending prospect Dylan Garand for free via waivers. Now, they're depending on him to save the season.

Nobody can fault the Rangers' front office for both Shesterkin and Joonas Korpisalo getting injured in the same window. That's rotten luck. They can be faulted for adjacent failures that accentuate the risks of the current moment.

When Shesterkin got injured in January last season, it was an opportunity to see what they had in Garand. The Rangers were already out of the playoff picture. Jonathan Quick was headed to retirement. The team was struggling and had little to lose and plenty to gain by handing a run of games to their best goaltending prospect. If he succeeded, then they would be able to pencil him in for the backup role in 2026-27. If not, then they'd know he's not a solution and the goaltending depth chart needed work.

Instead? They went to Spencer Martin, who was struggling in the AHL. He was arguably the worst goaltender in the NHL last season over his six games. Down the stretch, they prioritized a send-off for Jonathan Quick.

The Rangers had multiple opportunities to see if Garand could sink or swim in the NHL under their own terms and in a less consequential situation. Now, they have no choice, and Garand's trial will be an attempt to replace the best goaltender in the world while the team tries to save its season. No pressure!

Garand is a competitor, at least. Both on the ice, but more generally, as a mindset. He has performed well in different suboptimal environments. He faced a lot of shots for Kamloops in the WHL. The ice was often tilted towards him in Hartford. He responded to a rollercoaster week and spontaneous call-up with a shutout in Detroit, then filled in admirably mid-game against Washington.

Garand has, if nothing else, the guts to meet the moment. The silver lining is that the Rangers, who inexplicably refused to give Garand his chance, now have no choice. If he plays well, then it may at least answer some questions.

Will the Rangers Survive or Be Forced to Punt on This Season?

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Chris Drury

Even with Shesterkin, the Rangers were roughly a coin flip to make the playoffs and maybe had the upside to win a first-round series. Without him? Forget it. This is not a team headed for the lottery — playoffs may even still be within reach — but any belief that this team is capable of making some real noise is delusional.

To that end, the best move for the Rangers is probably to take this on the chin, grin and bear it for the rest of the season, sell at the deadline, and regroup. Sometimes, outside forces decide it's just not your year.

It must have been easy for Panthers GM Bill Zito to sell that idea to ownership and fans last season when Sacha Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk went down. The Panthers were still basking in the glow of back-to-back Stanley Cups.

Rangers GM Chris Drury has no such equity. The 24-25 and 25-26 seasons were unquestionably the two most pathetic seasons this franchise has experienced in the Salary Cap era. His perception among the fanbase could not be lower, while his standing with his new boss is unknown. There is significant pressure for this team to be demonstrably competitive.

This is dangerous territory for a franchise. An executive fighting to keep his or her job can be motivated to save today by borrowing from the future at a high interest rate. If it fails, you likely won't be around to deal with the consequences, anyway.

It is self-evidently not in the organization's best interest to throw more assets away in a desperate attempt to carry on as usual.

Realistic Contingency Plans at Goalie

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Erik Portillo

The Rangers are going to have to add someone to the depth chart to, at the very least, eat minutes while Korpisalo sits. It's not fair to saddle Garand with the whole load; this group of Rangers deserves a chance to at least salvage the season, and the development of critical young players will depend partially on a baseline competency in net.

Veteran Eric Comrie, stashed in the AHL by San Jose, is one option. He's been an above-average backup goaltender in the NHL over the last few seasons, with stops in Buffalo and Winnipeg.

In a similar vein, Dave Rittich had a strong season on Long Island last season. The Devils signed him to compete for the backup job this training camp, only to demote him and claim goaltender Remi Poirier off waivers. NJ won't rush to help out the Rangers, but if he's being offered an NHL position, the Devils will have a tough time convincing him to accept the fourth-string role.

I'd look at Los Angeles' Erik Portillo. Once a top NCAA goaltender, he's fallen to fourth on the LA depth chart. The 6'6" goaltender had a strong 2025-26 season in the AHL.

The Rangers brought Alexander Smolin, 23, into development camp this past summer. The Russian goaltender has a .939 save percentage through 12 games in the KHL this season. Is it possible to find a way to bring him over?

What Drury should avoid is a desperation trade to save the season. No, Jordan Binnington, Mackenzie Blackwood, or Samuel Montembeault will not change the perception of a sunk season. Throwing away mid-round draft picks in a desperate hope to scratch and claw to 94 points and a first-round exit is not how a Stanley Cup is won.

There will be other opportunities. A Connor Hellebuyck trade may create a cascade effect. Teams may promote a prospect and look to dump a backup. The Rangers will have options.