Friday night, the New York Rangers worst nightmare came to fruition: a season-ending injury to goalie Igor Shesterkin. Igor suffered the injury, which Vince Mercogliano indicated Sunday was to his right knee, when he scrambled back into the net and appeared to get his right skate caught on the post. His right leg bent awkwardly, and he was unable to put any weight on it while teammates helped him off the ice in the second period.
Those of us who are long-time Rangers fans noted almost immediately that the Injury was all too reminiscent of Mike Richter’s first ACL tear. That injury started Richter’s downward trend, so forgive many for possibly overreacting in the short term. The key now is not to panic.
In line with the above, here is a good look at Igor’s on-ice impact. None of this is surprising. Wallowing in woe over the loss of Shesterkin won’t bring him back any quicker or blunt the impact. New York needed to rebound – quickly – and pick up a win Sunday. This is what they did over a weak Vancouver squad with Dylan Garand between the pipes.
Elliotte Friedman provided his view in the first minute of his in-between periods segment on Sportsnet. He noted that Connor Hellebuyck, discussed more below, is not a viable option for several reasons. In addition, Friedman feels that the Rangers will exercise caution—aka, not panic—by going with Garand in the short-term, which is the prudent course of action.
PuckPedia presented the cap implications of the various players currently out for New York. On Saturday, we learned Joe Veleno will miss three more months, with Veleno landing on LTIR. Igor joined him there; he might return for the playoffs, though that is unlikely. For now. Shesterkin is on LTIR, not season-ending LTIR.
– Joonas Korpisalo is out four more weeks due to his own lower-body injury.
– Adam Sykora opened the season on IR, as he is expected to miss 4-5 months.
– Spencer Martin was cleared from a recent lower-body injury and recalled Sunday from AHL Hartford as New York’s new No. 2 goalie.
A look at the team’s current cap space shows $4.6 million in room. If Igor goes on season-ending LTIR, his full AAV will be available. A decision likely won’t be made until Shesterkin undergoes surgery, at which point a better sense of his possible absence will be known.
Garand-Martin is the current duo in net. When Korpisalo is ready – maybe late-November – if no other moves are made, he could replace Martin and possibly see consistent playing time. I was a bit surprised New York didn’t claim Trent Miner, who was placed on waivers by Colorado.
Here are a few possible options and my likelihood of the Rangers acquiring that player:
Connor Hellebuyck: the most prominent name possibly available on the market. Immediately after Igor was injured, speculation centered on Hellebuyck landing with the Rangers. Here are a few reasons why that acquisition is unlikely: 1) contract length and AAV. Igor is signed through 2032-33 with an $11,567,857 AAV. Hellebuyck is inked through 2030-31 at $8.5 mil per. That’s $20 million in salary committed to the net. 2) Cost to acquire.
GM Chris Drury already dealt three first-round picks at the draft. Winnipeg is asking for a healthy return, likely higher than Drury would want to pay. If Drury traded for Helly, he either knows he can recoup a similar return after the season or has concerns about the ability of Shesterkin to recover fully from the injury.
Likelihood: 10%
Jordan Binnington: has big game experience, as seen in winning a Cup with the Blues in 2018-29 and gold for Canada in the 4 Nations Cup. He also won a silver medal in the Olympics last season. That’s the good news. The bad news is that his game has generally declined, and he has ceded the starter’s net in St. Louis to Joel Hofer. Binnington is in the final year of his deal at a $6 million AAV, so the cost might not be overbearing.
He would provide a veteran presence for Garand if Martin or Korpisalo prove incapable. Binnington also is solid when behind a good defense, which could be a deciding factor.
Likelihood: 30-40% at the deadline
Sam Montembeault: Montreal could move Montembeault, who is in the final season of the three-year, $9.45 million contract extension he signed with the Canadiens in December of 2023. Jakub Dobes and Jacob Fowler are the present and future north of the border, making Montembeault, when healthy, a possible option, though I certainly would not overpay to acquire him.
Likelihood: 15-20%
John Gibson: likely one of the cheaper starter options to acquire. His availability will increase if Detroit does not remain in the playoff hunt and/or his performance remains subpar. The Red Wings will eventually turn to Trey Augustine if Gibson is in the final year of his contract with a $6.4 million AAV. He is probably only an option if other possibilities fall through.
Likelihood: 5-10%, at the deadline
Darcy Kuemper: rebounded his first season in LA in 2024-25 but has fallen off since. His goals-against average of 2.78 last season was not horrible, though his .891 save percentage was mediocre at best. Kuemper is 0-2-1 this season and ceding time to Anton Forsberg. LA has several solid goalie prospects looming, and Kuemper, in the final season of his deal with a $5.25 AAV, is likely readily available. Kuemper won a Cup with Colorado in 2021-22, so he has playoff pedigree, but to me, he’s only an option if desperate and hoping he rebounds with a move.
Likelihood: 15-20% at the deadline
New York could also look at Vitek Vanecek, Matt Murray, David Rittich, Petr Mrazek, and James Reimer as second or third goalies. If Devon Levi excels, could Freddie Andersen be an option (don’t even suggest Tristan Jarry). Thatcher Demko’s injury history and high AAV for two more seasons make acquiring him a poor fit.
In short, look for Garand, who has been waived, passed through, optioned down, called up to back up Igor, and now is the #1 goalie over the last two weeks. Drury was fortunate no one claimed Garand; otherwise, the team would be in massive trouble, and the fanbase would be storming Penn Plaza with torches. Garand was up to the task Sunday; he will need to remain the same moving forward.
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