Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin left Monday’s game against the Utah Mammoth with a lower body injury. That was after JJ Peterka rushed towards the net and collided with the Russian goaltender. Even though the contact was brief, Shesterkin’s leg was twisted underneath him. Afterward, Shesterkin was helped off the ice, unable to put any weight on his left leg.
Igor Shesterkin is helped to the locker room with 7:00 remaining in the first period. pic.twitter.com/fAR332PYCb
— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) January 5, 2026
Potential Fallout with Shesterkin Injured
It’s too early to speculate on how serious the injury is, but it doesn’t look good. Moreover, thae Rangers will ride with Jonathan Quick as the starter while Shesterkin recovers, who will likely be out for some time after he was ruled out of the game quickly after exiting the ice.
UPDATE: Igor Shesterkin (lower body) will not return tonight.
— NY Rangers PR (@NYR_PR) January 5, 2026
One of Spencer Martin or Dylan Garand will most likely be called up following tonight’s game. Martin and Garand have spent the season in the AHL for the Hartford Wolfpack.
Martin is the more experienced goaltender, having played for four different teams at the NHL level. He most recently played in an NHL game with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2024. That season, Martin played in nine games, winning three of his seven starts.
Garand was a fourth-round draft pick of the Rangers in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, and at 23 years old, could be an interesting prospect. Garand played in 39 games with the Hartford Wolfpack in the 2024-25 season, and held a 20-10 record.
Shesterkin has been far and away the Rangers best player this season, and losing him, as it appears he is injured and may miss time, hurts New York’s playoff chances. The backbone of the Rangers this season has been their goaltending, and Shesterkin is the main part of that. Furthermore, the severity of Shesterkin’s injury will determine how the Rangers approach the rest of the season and the playoff race.
Main Photo: Brad Penner – Imagn Images
