Rangers’ Igor Shesterkin out for season with lower-body injury

The New York Rangers‘ goaltending situation just got even worse.

The Rangers announced on Saturday that goaltender Igor Shesterkin will miss the rest of the season with a lower-body injury.

Shesterkin sustained the injury during Friday night’s game against the Washington Capitals. Midway through the second period of the game, a defensive scramble caused him to leave the net aggressively, and then as he was returning to the crease, he wiped out into the post. He needed help off the ice, and wasn’t putting any weight on his right leg.

This comes after a stellar start to the season for Shesterkin, as he had a 3-1-0 record, a .927 save percentage and a league-leading 6.82 5v5 goals saved above expected in five games. He even contributed offensively with a goal and an assist. The Rangers have needed Shesterkin to start the season, as they’ve otherwise been outplayed on the ice with a 45.91% 5v5 xG share.

Shesterkin’s injury is another for the Rangers’ goaltending depth, as backup netminder Joonas Korpisalo was also already out of the lineup due to a lower-body injury he sustained at some point at the beginning of the regular season. New York provided an update on Korpisalo as well, announcing that he will be out for another four weeks.

Both injury announcements means that the Rangers will be relying on 24-year-old Dylan Garand as the starter at least until Korpisalo returns, and then depending on his play, he could very well be the starter for the remainder of the season. He’s played well in his first two games of the season so far, with a 1-1-0 record, a .971 SV%, a shutout and 1.27 5v5 GSAx.

New York is incredibly fortunate that Garand wasn’t claimed on waivers when he was placed there before the start of the regular season, because he was a potentially hot commodity at the time. But, he made it through, and the Rangers needed his services almost immediately with Korpisalo’s injury.

At this point in time, the Rangers haven’t announced a roster move for who will be called up as the backup to Garand while Korpisalo is out. Spencer Martin and Callum Tung are the only goalies currently signed to NHL contracts, and with Martin having 72 NHL games under his belt, the 31-year-old will likely be the call-up.

The Rangers also announced that center Joe Veleno will be out for at least three months with a lower-body injury last Sunday against the Utah Mammoth. Veleno had been held pointless in his four games so far this season.