Igor Shesterkin Injury 2026: Rangers Goalie Out for Season

Igor Shesterkin will miss the rest of the 2026-27 season, the New York Rangers announced Saturday, Oct. 10, one night after the goalie was helped off the ice in a 3-1 loss at the Washington Capitals. NHL.com reported a lower-body injury, and ESPN and the Associated Press described it as a right knee injury. The Igor Shesterkin injury leaves 24-year-old Dylan Garand as New York's starter, with backup Joonas Korpisalo also sidelined.

Igor Shesterkin injury: what happened in Washington

Shesterkin appeared to hurt his right leg at 8:20 of the second period on Friday, Oct. 9, with Washington on the power play, per NHL.com. Per ESPN, he came well out of his crease to challenge a shooter, then jammed his right skate into the right post as he scrambled back and collapsed into the net. NHL.com reported that his leg bent awkwardly under him as he fell in the crease.

Defensemen Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson helped him off the ice, and he could not put any weight on his right leg, per NHL.com. He had stopped 13 of 14 shots and left with the score tied 1-1, per ESPN. Garand allowed the go-ahead goal late in the second period and finished with 11 saves on 12 shots.

"It's awful, you know? He's a pillar of this team. It stinks," captain J.T. Miller said after the game, per ESPN. The loss snapped a four-game winning streak.

What the Rangers lose

This was a strong start cut short. Shesterkin was 3-1-0 in five starts with a 1.79 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage, per NHL.com. On Oct. 1 against Tampa Bay, he became the first goalie in Rangers history to score a goal, sending the puck into an empty net at 17:26 of the third period of a 5-1 win.

NHL.com reports that Shesterkin is in the second year of an eight-year, $92 million contract signed on Dec. 6, 2024, with an average annual value of $11.5 million, making him the highest-paid goalie in NHL history.

Shesterkin, the 2021-22 Vezina Trophy winner, missed 13 games last season with a lower-body injury suffered on Jan. 5 against the Utah Mammoth, per NHL.com. He went 25-19-6 with a 2.50 GAA and .912 save percentage in 51 starts, and the AP noted that his month out contributed to the Rangers finishing last in the Eastern Conference.

"Our message is, we keep fighting. It's a next-man-up mindset," coach Mike Sullivan said, per NHL.com.

Dylan Garand gets the net, Korpisalo is four weeks out

Korpisalo, 32, was acquired from the Boston Bruins last summer to back up Shesterkin, but he is out four weeks with a lower-body injury, per NHL.com. Counting four weeks from the Oct. 10 announcement lands on Nov. 7, which is the Rangers' game at Seattle on ESPN's schedule.

That puts Garand in front of a real workload. He was sent to the AHL on Sept. 28, then recalled from Hartford on Oct. 1 after clearing waivers, per NHL.com. He made 22 saves in a 2-0 shutout at Detroit on Oct. 2, his first NHL shutout. In five career NHL games (four starts), he is 3-1-1 with a 1.31 GAA and a .954 save percentage.

"He's a good goalie," Sullivan said, per NHL.com. "We think he's very capable." Garand, who went unclaimed on waivers, said he has "a bit of a chip on my shoulder."

The roster may not stay this thin. ESPN reported that the Rangers are expected to explore fill-in options. Jonathan Quick, 40, is now the Rangers' director of goaltender development and remains committed to his retirement decision, per ESPN, but sources told ESPN's Emily Kaplan they believe he could be a possibility if New York asked him to play.

Betting and DFS impact

Start with tonight. DraftKings has the Rangers at -265 on the moneyline against the Vancouver Canucks at +215, with a total of 6.5 (over +110, under -130), per ESPN's game page as read Oct. 11. By our math, -265 implies about a 72.6% win probability. The Rangers are 3-0-0 at home, and Vancouver brings a three-game losing streak, per the AP preview. The preview lists Vancouver's Thatcher Demko as out (hip).

The futures board is less forgiving. DraftKings lists the Rangers at +7000 to win the Stanley Cup, +3000 to win the East and +1500 to win the Metropolitan Division, per ESPN's futures feed as read Oct. 11. Those prices imply roughly 1.4%, 3.2% and 6.3%. Carolina is the Metro favorite at -105, with Washington at +255. We do not have a pre-injury DraftKings price to compare against, so we are not claiming a line move.

On the award side, Shesterkin does not appear in DraftKings' Vezina Trophy list, per the same Oct. 11 ESPN feed. Logan Thompson leads at +500, ahead of Ilya Sorokin (+650), Connor Hellebuyck (+700) and Andrei Vasilevskiy (+800). Our Vezina Trophy odds breakdown has the preseason board and the case for each contender.

For props and DFS, the shift is simple. Garand's save props and fantasy value now carry starter volume, but his NHL sample is five games, so price that uncertainty in. His 1.31 GAA and .954 save percentage are strong numbers on a very small base. StatSniper's AI sports picks and the NHL daily picks page track nightly numbers as the goalie situation settles.

What to watch next

Sunday, Oct. 11 vs. Vancouver (6 p.m. ET). NHL.com says this is Garand's first chance as New York's starter.

Tuesday, Oct. 13 vs. Tampa Bay. The Lightning visit New York next on ESPN's schedule.

A goalie move. ESPN reported the Rangers are expected to explore fill-in options. Watch for a recall, a signing or a Quick decision.

Korpisalo's timeline. NHL.com's four-week estimate points to early November. Any update changes how long Garand carries the load.

Futures and Vezina repricing. Check whether DraftKings moves the Rangers off +7000 (per ESPN's futures feed) after a few Garand starts.

Full details on the announcement are in NHL.com's report on Shesterkin's injury. Chad, the AI model inside the StatSniper app, tracks Rangers lines every night and flags when goalie news and a stale number stop lining up.

FAQ

What is Igor Shesterkin's injury? NHL.com reported a lower-body injury, and ESPN and the AP described it as a right knee injury. He was hurt on Oct. 9 at Washington when his right skate jammed into the post as he scrambled back to his net.

Is Igor Shesterkin out for the season in 2026? Yes. The Rangers announced on Saturday, Oct. 10, that he will miss the remainder of the 2026-27 season.

Who is the Rangers' starting goalie now? Dylan Garand, 24. Backup Joonas Korpisalo is out four weeks with a lower-body injury, per NHL.com, and ESPN reported the Rangers are expected to explore fill-in options.

What are the Rangers' odds after the Igor Shesterkin injury? As of Oct. 11, DraftKings lists New York at +7000 for the Stanley Cup, +3000 for the East and +1500 for the Metropolitan Division, per ESPN's futures feed.

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