The New York Rangers will be without starting goaltender Igor Shesterkin for at least one to two weeks after he sustained an upper-body injury in Friday’s 3–2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Fortunately for the Rangers, the NHL is set to pause for two weeks starting Monday due to the 4 Nations Face-Off beginning 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 contest.
Arthur Staple of The Athletic was the first to report the expected recovery timeline, indicating that Shesterkin should be ready to return after the international break. The Rangers have recalled Dylan Garand from AHL Hartford to back up Jonathan Quick for Saturday’s game in Columbus.
With Shesterkin sidelined, the Rangers turned to veteran Jonathan Quick as their starter. Quick, who holds an 8–5–2 record this season, started against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday and secured a 4–3 victory, stopping 22 of 25 shots.
Shesterkin signed an eight-year, $92 million contract extension in December 2024 but has struggled recently. Although he had a strong January, winning six of his first seven games, he has gone 1–4–0 in his last five starts.
Despite those struggles, Shesterkin remains the Rangers’ top goaltending option, posting an 18–19–2 record with a 2.87 GAA and a .906 save percentage across 39 games this season.
The Rangers enter the 4 Nations break with a 27-24-4 record (58 points in 55 games), trailing the Detroit Red Wings by three points for the second wild-card spot.
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